In These Moments
by RaiynetheHedgehog
Summary: How did Gohan and Videl's relationship develop, from the first ten days of training through after the menace of Buu, and beyond? A story of Gohan and Videl's relationship; this is my first DBZ story, please read and review!
1. Knowing Looks and Small Changes

**A/N: So, I've had this idea in my head for a while now, and I just got the guts to put it up thanks to some encouragement. Thank you so much, abbieouji! You're the greatest! XD**

**So here it is! Hope you guys enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z. I TOTALLY wish I did, though…all the things I would do…hehehe…but I don't. Too bad for me.**

**So read, and enjoy! ;)**

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One would think that Gohan Son was used to the weird, to the utterly impossible.

When he was four years old, he'd learned that his father was actually an alien from a different planet. When he was five, he'd gone to a completely different planet along with Bulma and Krillin to collect the Namekian Dragon Balls to revive their dead friends, and, while on that planet, had fought with Vegeta and actually survived, and had fought with Frieza as well. He'd seen his father turn into a powerful warrior that was only believed to be legend, transforming into a powerful Super Saiyan. A year after that, he'd met a time traveler who was also Saiyan, and who easily killed Frieza and the tyrant's father, King Cold, and brought an ominous warning that, three years from then, two terrible monsters called Androids would attack, killing everyone but himself and his mother, who both went unnamed to Gohan. Three years after that, he'd learned that Vegeta and Bulma actually had a son together, and that the mysterious lavender-haired, blue-eyed youth from the future was actually the future version of that little boy. He'd met cyborgs who weren't as terrible as the future Trunks had described, and had also discovered that an overgrown cockroach named Cell, who was created from the cells of Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Frieza, and other warriors, had to absorb the two Androids to become perfect. He'd then fought Cell and had ascended to a state _above_ Super Saiyan—dubbed Super Saiyan 2, and had managed to kill the monster and somehow save the Androids. Seven years after that, he'd actually begun going to high school, while still protecting Satan City as the mysterious Gold Fighter. He'd even had an alter-ego—the Great Saiyaman.

If all of that didn't qualify as _weird_, then Gohan had no idea what _did_ qualify.

However, even with all his past experiences, he still found things that were odd, things that he was unable to truly understand or comprehend.

The main thing that was odd and slightly incomprehensible to Gohan was a single word:

Females.

Especially one female in particular: Videl.

Now, that didn't mean that Gohan had never interacted with females. However, the women that he _did_ interact with included his own mother—a raven-haired woman that wielded a frying pan with deadly force; and a close family friend, Bulma Briefs—the heiress of Capsule Corporation herself, who could easily have a scream that would put Chi-Chi to shame, and a temper even shorter than Krillin's height, sometimes even more scary to him than Vegeta. And, if you knew these women for just about your whole life, you would probably want to be sent to an asylum.

When he'd gone to high school, in all honestly, Gohan thought that he'd get a break from his odd—yes, he loved them all to death, but he had to admit that they were _definitely_ unordinary—family. However, he'd met people just as odd as Bulma and Chi-Chi, and the one that was the strangest of them all was the girl who had uncovered the Great Saiyaman's identity the day before.

How could he have let that slip? And then, she'd _blackmailed_ him into entering the World Martial Arts Tournament, threatening to reveal the secret identity of the Great Saiyaman unless he didn't compete. She also demanded that he teach her how to fly, since she saw him doing it when he'd saved that bus full of people from plunging into the canyon. And if he didn't teach her, she'd tell the world that the Great Saiyaman was really Gohan Son, the nerdy kid who attended Orange Star High School.

One day had already passed since he'd first begun to teach her, and she'd learned how to manipulate her _ki_ slightly and she had even begun to float—all on her first day of teaching. They'd also ended yesterday on an awkward note—after he'd suggested that she cut her hair short, she'd looked at him strangely and asked him if he liked girls with shorter hair. When he'd replied that he simply thought that cutting her hair short would be more beneficial if she was caught in a fight, a furious blush had colored her cheeks and she'd retorted fiercely that she'd to whatever the hell she wanted with her hair. On that note, she'd stormed off into her jet, and he felt her _ki_ fluctuating rapidly with her anger.

Goten had been completely confused, and Gohan was just as puzzled as his younger brother. When the seven-year-old asked his older brother what had just happened, Gohan had replied that he honestly had no idea.

It was now the second day, and, in all honesty, Gohan didn't feel like waking up. He didn't have to go to school—amazingly, his mother had allowed for him not to go to school so that he could train for the upcoming WMAT to win the family money—and he honestly just wanted some rest.

However, a certain someone had other ideas.

"Gohan! Gohan!" an eager voice chirped, jumping on the bed that he shared with the sixteen-year-old half-Saiyan. "Wake up, wake up!"

"Ugh, Goten…" Gohan groaned, looking at the clock near their bed, his fuzzy vision reading what the hands told him. "It's six in the _morning_."

"So? It's when the sun comes up, and I wanna have the whole day to train!" Goten said happily, _way_ too hyper for six in the morning. Just like his father before him, he wanted to rise with the sun. Gohan had done so before, of course—but that was before he'd begun going to high school, getting homework, and training his little brother all in such a short time. Not to mention that Goten was a Super Saiyan at the age of seven, which was draining Gohan as he tried to teach the kid to control his power. Along with that, Goten was a very, very energetic kid, probably because of all the energy that wanted to burst forth from him.

"Five more minutes," Gohan mumbled, his voice nearly incoherent as he rubbed his face into the pillow.

"_Go-han!"_ Goten whined. "You said that you'd train me seriously when Videl's not here!"

"And if I don't get enough sleep, I won't make a good teacher," Gohan replied tiredly.

"Oh, you woke up earlier than this for school when you rode Nimbus!" Goten retorted. "C'mon, you promised!"

Gohan looked up at his little brother to see him making the puppy-dog eyes that every young child knows how to make so that they can get their way, the look that everyone but their parents couldn't resist. The large, wide, pleading, innocent eyes of a little kid were their greatest weapon, and Goten knew that and was using it to his advantage.

And Gohan was unable to resist.

"All right, all right, I'm getting up, I'm up," Gohan muttered, beginning to sit up in the bed. He tossed the blanket to the side, his knees draping over the side of the bed as he rested his elbows on his thighs, bringing one hand up to his face to rub his eyes.

"YAY!" Goten cheered happily, bouncing around the room like a little ball of energy, while Gohan yawned a bit and ran a hand absentmindedly through his thick black hair. He noticed that Goten was already dressed in his orange _gi_, and the teenager stood up and began to get ready for the day.

Eventually, Gohan managed to truly wake himself up, after getting himself dressed in his purple training _gi_ and splashing cold water in his face repeatedly. He went to the kitchen of their little home, where Goten was already at the table eating at a frightening pace, while Chi-Chi looked at her youngest son and shook her head at his antics. Yes, Goten was definitely Goku's son, all right.

"Morning, Mom," Gohan said, grinning a bit as he went up to his mother.

Chi-Chi turned to face her firstborn son, and smiled at him. "Morning, hun," she replied, turning her face slightly to the side. Gohan obediently complied and kissed hid mother's cheek.

Now, most sixteen-year-olds probably wouldn't show affection towards their mothers like that, but Gohan was no ordinary sixteen-year-old. He knew what it was like to lose his father—_twice_—and had no intention of losing his mother, either. He understood guilt and regret, always inadvertently thinking that it was _his_ damned fault that his father was dead, even though everyone else denied it—_he_ was the one who prolonged killing Cell, and, as a result, was the reason that Goku had sacrificed himself in an attempt to kill the monster once and for all.

Yet another thing that hurt him, though, was the fact that, even though Goku had the choice of returning back to life, he decided to stay dead.

Why didn't Goku want to come back? Gohan knew that his father had stood dead because he thought that the Earth would be safer without him…but he'd had his wife and son. Why wouldn't he come back to them?

Gohan shook his mind clear of these thoughts, focusing on a more positive thing. His father had said that he would come back to the realm of the living on the day of the World Martial Arts Tournament, so Gohan would see him again. Goten would see his father for the first time. Wondering what his little brother's reactions would be like brought a small smile to Gohan's face once more.

Chi-Chi set down his breakfast on the table. The eldest half-Saiyan thanked his mother before digging into his food with the vigor that only a Saiyan could possibly have.

"So, Gohan," Chi-Chi asked casually, fixing more food for her extremely hungry sons, "is that girl coming over again today? The daughter of Mister Satan…Videl, isn't it?"

"Yeah, she's coming over," Gohan answered, not catching the slightly knowing tone in his mother's voice.

Chi-Chi grinned slightly. "So, what do you think of her? _I_ think she's kinda cute, even though she _is_ the daughter of that annoying man."

"_Mom!"_ Gohan exclaimed, his pale cheeks reddening slightly at what she was saying. "She's just coming over so that I can teach her how to fly, and that's all!"

"Mm-hm," Chi-Chi said, smiling while she continued to cook. Her tone stated that she didn't really believe what Gohan was saying.

Gohan gave up on his mother, knowing exactly what she was thinking. "Mom, Videl doesn't like me _at_ _all_. All she wants to do is beat me up, and prove that she's stronger than me." Gohan had actually believed that Videl actually _hated_ him on a few occasions, because it sure seemed like it. At times, it was as if she was out for his blood. And yet, his mother somehow believed that the two had repressed feelings for each other for some unfathomable reason. When Videl had told her how many rooms she had in her house, Chi-Chi's eyes had gleamed, and she suddenly decided to play matchmaker. In doing so, she had blatantly asked yesterday during lunch with Hercule Satan's daughter when Videl and Gohan were going to get married.

Gohan had been so shocked that he'd spat out his food, causing Goten to complain as food got spit into his face.

Sometimes, his mother didn't make any sense.

He'd gotten a similar response from Bulma, too, when he'd gone to her for a suggestion of what to wear in replacement of his Saiyaman helmet for the tournament, because no form of helmets or protective gear was allowed. When she'd asked why he needed it, he'd told her about how Videl had figured out his identity and how she'd blackmailed him into entering the tournament _and_ teaching her how to fly.

"Why don't you take her out? When a girl is always riding a guy for minimal reasons, she often wants to be taken out on a date," Bulma had suggested. "Trust me, I know."

"But, Bulma, I don't think that's the case here—all she wants to do is beat me up," Gohan had answered her. An amused glint had then shown in the heiress' sky blue eyes, and Gohan wondered what was so funny.

"Really?" Bulma asked, raising a perfectly shaped blue eyebrow at her lifelong friend's firstborn son. "So, this girl is so damned set on figuring out all your secrets, so much that she'd blackmailed you into entering the tournament…just for the sake of beating you up?"

"Bulma, she doesn't like me at all," Gohan had explained. "Sometimes, I really think that she hates me!"

"Oh, Gohan," Bulma laughed, grinning at him. He was so naïve about women, just like his father. It was actually kind of cute. "Haven't you seen the way that I sometimes interact with Vegeta? You know that I love him to death, but sometimes…well…you know."

Oh, Gohan knew. Fights between Vegeta and Bulma were legendary in their little group of misfits—both people with extremely short tempers and over-inflated egos, they often got into many, _many_ fights. It was impossible to count how many times Bulma had called Vegeta an "arrogant son of a bitch" or an "idiotic prick" or a "good-for-nothing cocky little bastard." It was also impossible to count how many times Vegeta had, in reply, called Bulma a "blue-haired bitch," "demon wench," or "shrilling harpy"; A number that high had not been invented. And yet, even though the couple threw insults at each other _at_ _least_ three times a day, their marriage had lasted for six years, and Trunks still seemed to be in stable mental condition.

"But, Bulma, you don't want to beat Vegeta up," Gohan had continued to object.

"Psh, yeah, _right_," Bulma replied with a roll of her eyes. "Sometimes, I wish that I could just punch that arrogant ass's face in…but I wouldn't be able to make a dent in him. Hell, it'd be like punching a rock—_I'd_ get hurt instead! Stupid Saiyans, built like freaking brick _walls_ or something…"

Gohan wasn't sure if he should be hearing this, but he had still been pretty ecstatic after hearing that his father was going to attend the WMAT, and had quickly dismissed himself so that he could go home and tell his family the news.

"Bye, Bulma!" Gohan said, floating outside of the balcony. "See ya later, Trunks, Vegeta!"

"Bye, sweetheart! Come back anytime!" Bulma called back with a smile, a slightly knowing glint in her eyes as she waved goodbye to Gohan.

"See ya, Gohan! And bring Goten next time!" Trunks called, having to hover to look out of the window as he waved goodbye to his friend.

"Hn," had been Vegeta's only reply—however, his dark eyes weren't completely emotionless as he nodded his dismissal to Gohan. With one last wave, Gohan had turned around and blasted off back to his home.

The reactions of his mother and Bulma just didn't make sense to Gohan. Why did they have those knowing glints in their eyes, as if they knew something else that he didn't?

Gohan decided not to dwell on that for now, and, once he was done, Goten had almost yanked him out of his chair and dragged him outside, eager to begin training with his big brother.

For an hour and a half, Gohan and Goten trained 'seriously'—which meant that they were sparring as Super Saiyans. Gohan had been completely shocked when Goten had made the Super Saiyan transformation easily, as if it was no big deal. One of Gohan's guesses as to why he was easily able to access it was because their father had been extremely strong around the time that the little boy had been…_conceived_. Gohan didn't really want to think of that exactly as he shuddered mentally.

Goten was trying to hit his brother, often letting out huffs of annoyance when he was unable to hit Gohan. When Gohan noticed that Goten's moves were getting slightly weaker and sloppier, he decided that they should take a little break.

"But I'm…not tired!" Goten panted, slightly out of breath.

Gohan have Goten a knowing look. "Let's just take a quick, five minute break, OK?" he asked. "Then, we'll go right back into training."

Goten visibly brightened at that. "OK!" he replied eagerly, lying down on the grass and powering down so that he was able to catch his breath. Then, his eyes caught sight of a pretty butterfly, and he absentmindedly began to follow it, trying to catch the pretty creature.

Gohan smiled as he watched Goten chase the butterfly, walking as he followed the little animal. It was the little moments of peace, like this, that he'd learned to appreciate in their fullest, because you never knew when they were going to be interrupted, when they were going to be stripped away from you suddenly.

Just then, a _whirr_-ing sound came from up in the skies, and Gohan looked up to see Videl's hoverjet above them.

"Huh," he mused aloud. "She's kinda early."

Goten noticed this as well, and looked into the sky with a slight look of dismay on his face.

"Aw, we won't be able to spar anymore!" he complained dejectedly.

Gohan laughed and ruffled his little brother's hair, which was identical to his father's mane of haphazard black spikes. "Don't worry, squirt—once she's gone, we'll go right back to sparring as Super Saiyans, all right?"

"Yeah!" Goten grinned widely.

"For now, I'm mostly gonna teach Videl how to fly, and teach you to control your flying a bit more—remember, _don't_ fly any faster than you did yesterday when Videl's around!" Gohan quickly reminded his brother.

"OK," Goten agreed, remembering Gohan's hurried words to him yesterday when he'd first learned to fly. He didn't know why Gohan didn't want him to fly faster around Videl, but he didn't question him, either. It wasn't as if it was a big request.

Videl's jet landed on the ground, slightly disrupting the grass around it. Goten stood next to Gohan as the door opened, to reveal…

"Gohan, who's _that_?" Goten whispered to his older brother.

Gohan's eyes were wide. "It's Videl, Goten," he said, voice awed. Then, quietly, he mumbled to himself, "But why…?"

Indeed, it was Videl, except there was one major difference about her—her black hair, which had previously been in two black pigtails before, was now cut rather short. It made her look a little different—the delicate features of her face seemed more noticeable now, Gohan noticed. But why had she cut her hair short after she'd vehemently told him yesterday that he had no place telling her what to do with her hair?

"All right!" Videl announced, her blue eyes, the color of a sea before a storm, blazing with determination. "Let's continue where we left off!"

It was almost as if she hadn't retaliated towards him yesterday fiercely as if he'd committed some unforgivable offense towards her, as if nothing at all had happened between them yesterday.

Gohan honestly didn't understand, his brain having trouble functioning. She'd actually gone and cut her hair short, even though he was positive that she'd be completely opposed to the idea! Why would she do that after retorting that she'd to whatever the hell she wanted with her hair, after acidly telling him if she'd ever asked for his opinion in the first place?

Then, something clicked from an old conversation that he'd had a while ago with a certain Saiyan prince, and he realized that he agreed.

Vegeta was right.

The female species definitely _was_ an enigma.

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**So, whaddaya think? This is gonna be a pretty long fic, about how Gohan and Videl's relationship developed, during the ten days with training, tidbits from the Buu saga, and up to their marriage (or engagement, not sure yet) with an epilogue. This was more of an opening than anything…so, what say you? You like? You hate? Please, send me your thoughts and review! Thank you! :D**


	2. Smiles and Nightmares

**Thank you for the lovely reviews that I've received so far on the first chapter! They totally make my day! XD And here's a nice, long chappie as a present! :D Hope ya like!**

**Oh, and some dialogue in here isn't straight from the anime…you'll understand when you reach it. XD But besides that, there's nothing else for me to say! So read and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Me does not own DBZ. TOTALLY wish I did, though.**

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If there was one thing that Videl Satan prided herself on, it was her determination.

The daughter of Hercule Satan, world champion and the one who defeated Cell, would never let something that she deemed suspicious go unquestioned, and she would not give up in her goal. It was what made her such a good and dangerous opponent to anyone in her way.

When the mysterious Gold Fighter had made his second appearance on the same day that Gohan Son had come to her high school, she'd instantly been slightly suspicious of him from the start. Also, throwing in the fact that she'd been told that the clothing that the Gold Fighter had been wearing the _exact_ same clothes that Gohan had been wearing that day, she'd only begun to suspect that something was weird with the new kid. Not to mention that, during gym, he'd managed to break all possible laws of gravity and physics when he jumped up fifty feet in the air to catch a ball hit by Sharpener; and also, during gym class, when a baseball thrown at a considerable speed by Sharpener hit him square in the face, it seemed as if he'd felt absolutely nothing at all—hell, there hadn't even been a real _mark_ on his face, and if he'd been in any pain, he certainly didn't show anything!

After that, she knew that there was something _definitely_ fishy about Gohan Son, and she decided that she would be the one to uncover the secrets that he was hiding.

The day after Gohan had been enrolled into Orange Star High, a new and flamboyant hero had appeared—the Great Saiyaman. When anyone talked about him or began to mock this new hero for his odd name or stupid poses that he did with corny pick-up lines and his retarded outfit, Gohan had always jumped to the mysterious new hero's defense. But the thing that had really given him away was after he helped her save people from a bus that had been hijacked, after he'd called her by name, and after she thought that she slightly recognized the Great Saiyaman's voice. It was then that she decided to have a little discreet test to see if the Great Saiyaman really was Gohan as she'd expected, and he'd fallen for it unconsciously.

It was on the way back to school that she demanded to be taught how to fly the next day, and also demanded that he enter the World Martial Arts Tournament in hopes of actually having a worthy opponent, after finding out that he was also the son of Goku Son. If not, she'd reveal to everyone that Gohan was really Saiyaman.

On their first day of training, Videl had been completely shocked when she learned two things: one, that Gohan had a little brother; and two, that Gohan was really amazingly sculpted with muscle.

Who knew that Gohan Son had been hiding muscles under those loose-fitting clothes of his that made him look so scrawny? It didn't make sense—how did Gohan, the nerd, have such perfectly toned muscles? It had been the first time that Videl had seen him in any type of _gi_, either, and the purple fighting outfit left his arms and some of his chest bare. His arms had been perfectly sculpted with muscles that she'd had the odd feminine urge to touch, and what had been shown of his bare chest showed strong, rock-hard pectoral muscles.

She didn't dwell on that, however, and simply focused on being taught how to fly. But first, she'd needed to learn how to access her ki, her inner energy, which, unlike her father had said, was apparently real. He taught her how to do that, and also taught her how to float. Yesterday, though, she'd been a bit surprised at Gohan's mother, Chi-Chi, when she had asked Videl when she was going to get married to Gohan; it was actually a thought that was slightly humorous, and it was made even funnier when Gohan's reaction happened and he spewed his food into his little brother's face.

Before she left, Gohan had told her that she should cut her hair. For some odd and unfathomable reason, Videl had begun to blush as she'd gently held one of her black pigtails in her hands as she absentmindedly ran her fingers through the strands, asking him with if he liked girls with short hair. For some reason, her heart had begun pounding like crazy.

It was then that he'd said that he just thought that it'd be more beneficial for her in a fight. _Not_ that he thought that she'd look better with shorter hair.

Videl had raged at him after that, her face flushed red as she yelled at him. Who did he think he was? She would do whatever the freaking hell she _wanted_ to do with her hair, and he couldn't make her do anything that she didn't want to!

However, she _did_ agree with his statement once she'd cooled down when she got home, and had cut her hair.

The look on Gohan's face when she'd exited the jet had been completely priceless, though, she remembered with a small smirk. However, he didn't let it hinder them as he continued to teach her the basics of teaching someone how to fly.

"All right, well, let's start off with something simple," Gohan mused aloud as he looked at his student, who was slightly impatient as she waited, her foot tapping on the ground and her arms crossed against her chest as she waited for him. She'd been here for fifteen minutes, and they hadn't begun training yet! However, when Gohan stole a glance, once again, at her newly cut hair.

Videl couldn't stop a small smirk from forming on her features at that.

"Did you practice your floating at home?" Gohan asked her as he absentmindedly tucked his thumbs under the red belt around his waist.

"No, I couldn't," Videl replied, annoyance in her tone. "Dad would absolutely _freak_ if I showed him that I could float—he still believes that your energy-ki-things are just a bunch of tricks, and that the flying is all a trick, too."

At that, Gohan felt a prick of annoyance. Now, in all honesty, he didn't really mind the fact that Mr. Satan had taken credit for the defeat of Cell—didn't mind it _most_ of the time. The pros were that he was able to live a somewhat 'normal' life (if it could even be called that) and that his family and all the other fighters that attended the Cell games would also have their privacy.

However, because Hercule Satan had taken credit, the other humans on the planet believed that a _human_ had been strong enough to save them; and, when he ridiculed the other _true_ warriors on television, everyone had gone along with it. How was it possible for people's hair to turn blond and shoot energy beams out of their hands and fly and move at speeds so fast that they were unable to be seen? Hercule Satan said it wasn't and that they were just cheap tricks, and everyone on Earth believed the lies that they were spoon-fed by him.

The lives of the Saiyans had become a little bit harder, because the humans just couldn't fathom the fact that _aliens_ had saved them, that there actually _were_ aliens on the planet Earth. From what he heard, Trunks was having a little trouble in school keeping his power in check, and Gohan was silently grateful that Goten wasn't going to school yet—even though he knew that he would want to eventually, since his best friend was doing it. Vegeta was sometimes caught by the paparazzi, since Capsule Corp. was almost always being attacked by greedy reporters—however, those things never really made it to the newspapers, because the reporters were either scared shitless by Vegeta or screamed at by Bulma. Goku had been ridiculed by Hercule himself during the Cell Games, something that simply irked Gohan to no end.

However, he wouldn't complain. At least he was still here, able to _actually_ protect the planet he loved and cherished, the planet that was his home.

"Well, let's see how your floating is going, then," Gohan said, nodding towards her.

Videl closed her eyes, remembering what Gohan had told her yesterday about harnessing her inner energy and using it to help her. First, she relaxed, and then she focused, gripping the hidden energy, her ki, within her, and, once she managed to grab hold of it, gently pushed it under her.

Gohan noticed with approval that she was able to float a couple of inches off the ground, a small bit higher than she had managed yesterday. Her eyes were squeezed shut with her intense concentration, her fists clenched at her sides.

"Great job, Videl!" Gohan praised.

"Shut up, I'm trying to concentrate," Videl snapped in reply. She lost slight control over her floating, and landed back on the ground suddenly, making contact with the grass. Irritated that her control had been interrupted, she shot a slight glare at Gohan with her fiery sapphire blue eyes.

"You messed me up," she told him in an irate tone, wiping a few beads of sweat off of her forehead that had formed with her effort of floating.

"Heheh, sorry about that," Gohan replied sheepishly, unconsciously rubbing the back of his head in a manner that was exactly like his father's. "But you've actually got this down pretty well. I think that we should work on building up your endurance, though."

Videl looked out of the corner of her eye, where Goten was happily flying in loops through the air. The little boy remembered what Gohan had said, and was not flying any faster than he had been yesterday, when he first learned how to fly. He was laughing as he made different designs, or dove towards the ground only to pull up a sheer millisecond before he made contact with the ground.

"How long did you say it would take me until I can fly like him?" Videl asked, pointing towards Goten.

Gohan quickly glanced at his little brother, relieved that the boy wasn't going any faster than he had yesterday. He then turned to Videl as he thought.

"Well, I'm not completely sure," he answered honestly, "because everyone learns at different rates. But…I'd say two weeks, tops, for you to learn how to fly like he is."

That left her two more weeks to completely perfect her technique when she managed to get away from her father, so that she would _own_ it by the tournament.

"Hey, that's not bad!" Videl grinned slightly, put in a slightly better mood than before. "You really think I can learn it that fast?"

"Yeah," Gohan replied, shrugging. "You're already a martial artist, and you've got a pretty good hang of controlling your ki so that you can fly. Flying isn't that hard, actually, once you know what to do. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in no time."

Hearing the sincerity in his tone, Videl couldn't help but smile completely at him.

Gohan noticed that she looked very different when she smiled—not smirking or lightly grinning or a smug smile of pride, but actually _smiling_. He realized that it was something that was very rare and that affected her appearance in a good way. Her face seemed to light up a bit, and now the slightly illuminated features of her face were more pronounced by her shorter black hair—Gohan decided that he liked it cut short. Her dark blue eyes also seemed to sparkle a bit, as if a single star was caught in each of their depths.

The words left Gohan's mouth unbidden, but he didn't regret them.

"You look really pretty when you smile."

At that, Videl's eyes widened, and she turned to look at him, feeling a little heat come to her face.

"Come again?" she asked, unsure if she had heard correctly, her voice not quite as steady as she wanted it to be.

"You should smile more often," Gohan continued, as if Videl wasn't nearly floundering with what to say to him in reply. "You don't smile that often, but your smile makes you look really nice. Your eyes sparkle when you smile, did you know that?"

Videl felt the blush take over her cheeks, and she knew that she must've been as red as a beet. "Um…ah—" She cut herself off, mentally scolding herself for sounding like a dumb idiot. But how was she supposed to react?

Videl Satan was used to people being scared shitless of her. She was used to the compliments about her fighting prowess, about how strong she was, about how skilled she was in martial arts, and about how competitive she was; even though she was a girl, she was possibly one of the strongest people in the world. Compliments towards her strength and being feared by criminals and showered with fame because of her dad were the things that Videl was used to.

What she _wasn't_ used to, however, was someone telling her that she looked pretty when she smiled.

No one had ever really complimented her on her looks before—well, with the exception of Sharpener, but he was a flirt with most of the girls in the school. And those compliments were very rare coming from him.

She didn't know why her heartbeat was suddenly racing, and why almost her entire face burned. But…no one had ever said anything like that before. No one had ever told her that she looked prettier when she smiled. No one told her that her eyes sparkled when she did that.

No one…except for Gohan, the boy who seemed to be full of surprises.

Gohan wasn't sure why Videl was suddenly blushing so fiercely that it seemed like she was sunburned. All he had done was state a simple fact. Maybe he'd offended her in some way, somehow? With girls, he could never be sure how they felt.

"Um…th-thank you, Gohan," Videl stammered slightly. Inwardly, she cursed herself. Why was she suddenly barely able to articulate comprehensible sentences? All because of a few simple words that he'd told her?

Thankfully, neither of them really had to worry about that any more, being interrupted as a blur of orange and black whizzed right in between them.

"Goten!" Gohan shouted over to his little brother. "What's going on?"

"Sorry, Gohan!" Goten apologized, stopping in mid-flight, hovering in the air without any visible effort at all, making Videl slightly envious of him. Her blush was beginning to decrease, her face turning back to a normal temperature, as she looked at Goten. The kid was only seven, and yet he seemed to easily be able to fly as if it was second nature to him. Why wasn't she able to easily fly like he could? Gohan said that Goten had already known how to use ki…but still, he was a kid!

"What were you doing?" Gohan repeated his question, looking at Goten with only a lightly stern look in his eye.

"Well, I was chasing this butterfly, and then I saw an even prettier one fly right between you and Videl!" Goten replied, grinning. "And I didn't want to let it get away, so I chased that one, and I caught him, see?" Proudly, Goten showed that he'd managed to trap a lovely butterfly in his palms. Its wings were shaped delicately, and colored lovely hues of aqua, blue, and black, with small splotches of purple.

"Yeah, I see," Gohan replied with a small smile at his younger brother. "But you know that you have to let it go, right? Even though you caught him, you still have to let him go, or else he won't be happy."

"Yeah, I know," Goten said, slightly pouting, but he let the butterfly go anyway. Then, he grinned. "Now I can chase him even more now!" he exclaimed, and, just like that, was right back into his chipper mood, before flying after the pretty butterfly.

Videl raised her eyebrows at Gohan. "You seem to care a lot about nature," she noted quietly.

"Yeah, I do," Gohan answered honestly. "I grew up here, around the trees and the animals. My dad…he always cared a lot about nature, and would protect the animals whenever he could." At the mention of his father, Gohan looked away slightly. "He really loved the animals—he's the one who taught me the importance of nature in our lives." Then, he shook himself slightly, not allowing his mind to go back to things that he'd rather not think about, things that he'd rather not see, as he remembered his father. Goku would sacrifice himself for everyone…

"Hey, let's continue to practice controlling your ki," Gohan said, changing the subject instantly.

The black-haired young woman realized that he wanted to change the subject, and, for once, she didn't press him for details.

Videl managed to be able to float a full two to three feet off the ground; however, after she accomplished that feat, she was exhausted from how long it took her to build up all the focus and energy needed to keep her up in the air.

"How the hell—do you do it so—_easily_?" Videl asked in awe, speaking through small pants of breath. "And Goten—he doesn't seem—nearly as breathless as—I feel…"

"I told you, Goten already knew how to manipulate his ki very easily," Gohan said, grinning a bit. "But I'm also surprised that he picked it up pretty quickly—it took me quite a while to learn how to fly without any real effort."

Videl simply panted for a little while longer, lying down on the grass, her legs splayed out in front of her while she supported her upper body with her palms as they rested in the grass. Gohan was sitting with his legs crossed, simply waiting for her to catch her breath.

Then, Chi-Chi's voice sounded from the kitchen. "Gohan! It's time for lunch! Get your brother, and Videl can come over here!"

At there mere mention of food, Gohan instantly sprung up from his sitting position. "OK, Mom!" he called back, and then looked at Videl. Companionably, he extended his hand towards her. "Hey, need any help?"

Instead of taking his hand and thanking him for the gesture, Videl's blue eyes suddenly lit up in a fiery rage. "WHAT?" she nearly shouted in his face. "Do you think that I'm not able to take care of myself just because I'm a bit TIRED?" She batted his hand away as she made herself stand up, glaring at him venomously. If looks could kill, Gohan had no doubt that he would be very, very dead—however, hanging around with people such as Vegeta and Bulma gave you a partial immunity to glares like these.

Only partial, though.

"I…I wasn't…" Gohan floundered for words, unable to understand what, exactly, he'd done that was apparently wrong in her eyes. All he'd done was offer her a hand—it was a common gesture that he often did, with Krillin and Yamcha and all his other friends, and most of them didn't find it insulting. It was just offering a comrade help, and he didn't understand what was wrong with it.

"I am _perfectly_ capable of taking care of _myself_, thank you very _much_," Videl snapped angrily at him. Then, she let out an aggravated sound as she stomped over to where Chi-Chi had called her, not turning to look back at Gohan.

Goten suddenly appeared next to his brother, having seen the exchange between Videl and Gohan. "What was _that_?" Goten asked his older brother.

Gohan watched as Videl clomped over to their house, obviously aggravated and annoyed. Gohan let out a sigh as shook his head, slowly following Videl, and he felt Goten run up alongside him.

"Goten," Gohan replied, his voice slightly confused and a note of defeat within there as well, "I honestly have no idea."

* * *

_"Gohan…take care of the animals…for me…" Sixteen rasped out, while nine-year-old Gohan looked on in stunned horror at what was happening in front of him. Sixteen's head continued to speak, his ice blue eyes, the eyes that had been identical to Seventeen and Eighteen's eyes, looked at Gohan with emotion that he hadn't believed a robot could have. "It's all right…to release your power, Gohan…just, please…protect nature. I love…the little birds…and all the animals…please…protect them…for me…"_

_Suddenly, Cell's foot came down, crushing the head of the Android in a single motion, and Sixteen, just like that, was dead._

_A strangled, choked sound escaped from Gohan's throat as he looked at the remnants of Android #16, and tears silently began to fall down his face._

_"Well, now he's finally gone," Cell said smugly. "Now, without any further interruptions, let's continue."_

_Gohan was unable to see anything through the misty tears that were clouding his vision. And that was when it happened._

_When Cell rubbed his foot over the crushed remains of Sixteen, as if to cleanse the earth of his existence, Gohan could only see a bird. Sixteen had loved the birds. He had loved nature. Especially the birds._

_And then, something inside of him snapped._

_A scream that seemed to be unable to be formed by human vocal chords escaped from his throat, sounding more animalistic than human. His power escalated, spiraling upwards and upwards, and tears were running down his cheeks in rivers._

_All he saw was Sixteen gently stroking the feathers of a blue bird that had landed on his large hand._

_Sixteen loved the animals. Nature. All he wanted was to take care of it._

_And he wouldn't be able to any more. Because he was dead._

_More screams came from Gohan's throat, before his power finally, finally stopped rising. He heard the others speaking, but didn't hear them, as his screams suddenly stopped. His throat was hoarse, and tears were still visible on his cheeks. The wounds that Cell had given him before, however, didn't seem to hurt at all any more, and he only felt this power, this power and this uncontrollable rage that was threatening to completely consume him, take over his entire being._

_And he welcomed it._

_Gohan glared venomously at Cell through his teal eyes, knowing that he would make that monster pay for everything that he'd done—_

_Green skies and blue grass was what five-year-old Gohan saw…and that blue grass was covered with red blood._

_Vegeta was dying, his red blood pooling around him as he struggle to stay alive, desperately trying to speak to Gohan's father, Goku, 'Kakarot'._

_Vegeta's death would leave a mark; Dende's hadn't. Frieza had simply blown up the young Namekian on the spot, disintegrating him to ashes before any of them could speak. And then, he had fought Vegeta, and completely and utterly beat the Saiyan prince. Vegeta was coated with blood, coughing out some of the red liquid as he spoke to Goku through mouthfuls of the vital crimson liquid that should've been inside of his body._

_There was no way that Vegeta was going to live—Frieza had shot him directly through the heart. But Vegeta refused to die until he finished speaking with Goku._

_"Your father…my father, the king…all killed, because of…him," Vegeta weakly said, sputtering more blood and phlegm onto the blue grass._

_Then, TEARS began to fall from Vegeta's eyes. True tears, mixing with the blood all over him, trailed down the proud, yet beaten Saiyan prince's face._

_"Please, Kakarot…avenge…your people…" The ground was soaking up the salty tears that Vegeta shed, while Gohan could only watch in pure fear and horror, slightly shielded by the body of his mentor. Piccolo was in between him and Frieza, so that, if the white lizard tried anything, that Piccolo would be able to try and somehow protect Gohan. But the tears falling from Vegeta's eyes was all Gohan could focus on, the salty tears that were coming from the eyes of the proud, "emotionless" Saiyan prince._

_"Hmph, even having your heart run through won't shut you up," Frieza said, his disgusting, slightly feminine voice sounding both amused and angered beyond belief._

_"Kakarot…I beg of you, please…" Vegeta's life was slipping away, but he needed to tell the last pureblooded Saiyan this. He NEEDED to. He needed this promise. He WOULDN'T die until Kakarot understood. His tears made his vision blurred, mixing with his blood, but he didn't care. Kakarot needed to know. It was Vegeta's last request._

_"Frieza…must die…by a Saiyan's…hands…"_

_And, with that, Vegeta, the last, proud prince of all the Saiyans, drew his last breath, before Death took him with its cold, cruel talons._

_And Frieza was only smirking—_

_Everything suddenly seemed to go in slow motion for Gohan, and yet, it also seemed to go too fast to comprehend._

_The nine-year-old boy watched, paralyzed, as the thick energy beam pierced through the clouds of gathering smoke. The smoke where the terribly familiar energy of Cell had been felt._

_The beam hit a target:_

_Mirai Trunks._

_The lavender-haired, blue-eyed half-Saiyan son of Vegeta and Bulma from an apocalyptic future began to fall backwards. His blue eyes were wide, his overlong lavender hair falling in front of his shocked, tanned features, the features that were a carbon copy of his father's, as blood suddenly began to pool around the large, gaping hole in the middle of his body. He landed on the floor with a _thud_ as he suddenly began to cough up blood._

_Vegeta's eyes were wide as he saw the body of his future son fall to the ground, gasping out only one word:_

_"Trunks…"_

_Gohan watched in horror as Yamcha ran over to Mirai Trunks, who was struggling to live, desperately trying to cling to life. But it was in vain._

_"Hm, who'd I hit?" the terrible, acidic voice of Cell sounded from the clouds. "Ah, Trunks." With that, the smoke completely dispersed, revealing Cell in his perfect form as he smirked with an air of superiority about him._

_Suddenly, Gohan noticed that the faint, shaky rising and falling of Trunks' chest had stopped. Trunks was dead._

_No…not another person. First his father, now Mirai Trunks? Someone else killed by Cell? No, no, NO!_

_Gohan wasn't able to think truly coherent thoughts, only able to look at Cell with hatred in his eyes. His father's completely selfless sacrifice, after losing him not moments before…it was for nothing?_

_Vegeta was still unable to believe it, his eyes wide. His onyx eyes were full of denial, and behind that, pure, venomous anger and hatred._

_"T-Trunks…" he repeated, his mind unable to wrap around it. No, his son…the son that he'd tried to push away…was…dead?_

_"DAMN IT!" Vegeta suddenly roared, a roar of pure agony as he made the Super Saiyan transformation in an instant, his obsidian hair turning blond and his black eyes turning turquoise as another scream, this one of no words, made it through his throat._

_Gohan knew, in that instant, that Vegeta really cared for Trunks._

_And Gohan had killed Mirai Trunks too because of his own stupid, stupid, stupid arrogance—_

_Yamcha. Chiaotzu. Tien. All of them were dead. Little Gohan hadn't been strong enough to help._

_And now, Piccolo had thrown himself in front of Gohan when the five-year-old had frozen in fear when Nappa aimed a blast directed towards him. Piccolo, the heartless green alien, who had taught Gohan for a year before the two Saiyans came._

_It had been in vain._

_"No! PICCOLO!" Gohan screamed as his mentor fell on the dirt, collapsing in front of him. Gohan turned Piccolo's body over so that he was facing the pained face of his teacher._

_"No, Piccolo, you can't…you can't leave me…!" Gohan said, tears threatening to escape from his eyes._

_"Hmph…I can't believe I've been reduced to this…giving up by life…for a whiny brat…" Piccolo said, his voice holding slight humor in it even as he shuddered with the effort to breathe._

_"P-Piccolo…" Gohan trailed off, unable to take it. He wasn't strong enough. He hadn't been strong enough to protect them._

_Piccolo smirked at his protégé. "Gohan…you know…you're the first person…not to treat me like a monster…" He coughed, his eyes only half-lidded as he wheezed a bit in his pain. "It felt…kinda nice…"_

_"N-no…no, no, Piccolo, please! You can make it, just…please, don't die!" Gohan begged._

_But Piccolo only continued to smirk. "You know…I guess this past year…wasn't that bad after all…kid…" And then, Piccolo's eyes closed as the last breath left his body._

_No._

_No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!_

_It was the only word going through Gohan's mind as he allowed the tears to fall, before screaming out of pure pain. Krillin was beaten to the side, and now, Gohan was the only one left to do anything for anyone._

_And Piccolo had just died._

_The little boy suddenly began to power up, causing Vegeta to whip his head in Kakarot's whelp's direction when his scouter beeped, signaling that the boy's power was rising rapidly._

_All Gohan knew was that the big, fat, stupid Saiyan, Nappa, was going to pay for killing Piccolo—_

_"This is the only way to save the Earth," Goku said sadly, looking at all of his friends._

_"Goku, now, you don't have to do this!" Krillin said, desperately trying to make his best friend see reason._

_Goku gave a sad smile. "Krillin, this is the only way, we know that. I'll never forget any of you…take care of Gohan and Chi for me?"_

_With that, he pressed two fingers to his forehead and winked out of sight._

_"NOOOOOOOOO! GOKU!" Krillin shouted, but it was too late. Goku had already gone._

_Suddenly, Goku appeared in front of his son, making Gohan gasp in fright. Goku grinned as he turned to face his only child._

_"Gohan, you've made me proud, son," Goku said, smiling gently. "Take care of your mom for me, OK?"_

_It was then that Gohan understood what his father was going to do. "No! No, Dad! D-don't do this!"_

_"WHAT?" Cell roared, enraged. His monstrous form continued to blow up as he drew bigger and bigger, preparing to self-destruct. However, his plans were going to take a little U-turn._

_"Goodbye, everyone," Goku said in finality. "Bye, Gohan. I'll always be proud of you, son."_

_Then, he used Instant Transmission to transport himself and the self-destructing Cell to a different planet._

_"NO!" Gohan screamed, reaching out for his father, but only gaining empty space. "No…" he whimpered, feeling tears begin to collect in his eyes. Then, everyone felt the familiar energy signal of Goku suddenly turn to nothingness._

_He was dead._

_"NOOOOOOOOO! DADDY!" Gohan wailed, screaming up into the sky, before he collapsed on his knees, crying with all of his heart. He fiercely gripped the soil with his hand, making a fist, his tears being soaked up by the dry ground._

_He killed him._

_If he hadn't been so damn proud of himself, if he hadn't felt the need to make Cell suffer, if he had just KILLED HIM when he had the chance…Goku would still be alive. He would still have his Daddy._

_Daddy wouldn't be dead._

_If he'd just killed Cell…_

_But his stupid, stupid, damned arrogance had let Cell make his move._

_Gohan had KILLED his own father, and there was nothing to do to bring him back now._

_The tears coursed down Gohan's face uncontrollably, knowing that his father was gone forever._

_And it was ALL his fault—_

Gohan's eyes snapped open, his heart beating rapidly against his chest as he shot up like an arrow in the bed. His breathing was slightly accelerated as his black eyes darted around the room, and then he let out a sigh of relief as he realized that he was safe now.

He then let out a long, heavy sigh, leaning back against the wall as he ran his fingers through his slightly sweaty thick black hair, shaking his head.

These nightmares weren't often; when they did strike, however, they struck Gohan _hard_. They would always quickly switch their scenery, changing from one painful scene to the next, where person after person after person died…

Gohan shakily let out a breath, trying to control his breathing as he gasped for air a bit. In the nightmares, it would almost be as if he was reliving the entire thing once more—all the terrible emotions that he'd felt in those moments would surface as if it was happening once more. Too many times he'd had to relive the death of Piccolo at the hands of Nappa, too many times seeing Vegeta broken and bloody as he begged for Goku to avenge his people, too many times reliving Sixteen's final plea before Cell ruthlessly crushed his head, too many times reliving the second death of his father that had been all his fault…

The half-Saiyan teen let out another shaky breath. Once was enough for all those terrible experiences, but sometimes, the nightmares would come. He hadn't had a nightmare for quite a while now, and the appearance of these nightmares shocked him.

Instinctively, he looked over to his right side, where Goten lay sleeping. It seemed that he hadn't been disturbed by the movements of his older brother, a small smile on his innocent face which looked exactly like their father's as he slightly faced Gohan. Gohan watched him with a small smile on his face, feeling sadness and protectiveness as well.

Goten hadn't had to go through the pain and agony that Gohan had—he hadn't seen his father, so he never really knew what it was like to lose him. Unlike Gohan, who had instantly been thrown into battle at the young age of four, Goten was growing up in a time of peace, and Gohan wouldn't have it any other way. He didn't want his younger sibling to know what it was like to see your friends all killed in front of you by a heartless monster; to feel the agony of losing your mentor when you were too weak and scared to save him; to see a proud prince beaten down, broken by the tyrant that had tortured him for almost all of his life; to see an enemy who turned out to not be so bad after all, begging you to do what he could not; to see a boy from a terrible future killed by a cheap shot, while his father, who had constantly denied him, went insane over the death of his son and lunged blindly for the person who had killed the boy, not caring about his own well-being; to see your father killed right in front of you, knowing that you had been able to prevent his death, but, because of your pride, he was now dead.

The last seven years had, thankfully, been peaceful, so both Gohan and Trunks grew up in an era of peace, fighting because they enjoyed it, not because they were forced to do it or else the planet would be destroyed.

Gohan looked at the clock near their bed—the red numbers read 5:39 a.m., and the sun hadn't even begun to rise yet. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to get any more sleep after the slightly unsettling nightmares, Gohan decided to get out of bed and get ready for the day. He'd gone to sleep a bit earlier the day before, and he felt a little tired, but he could manage.

The appearance of the nightmares, though, unsettled Gohan. Why had they suddenly been so vivid, so clear that he felt the piercing agony of losing all those people once more? He was lucky that he wasn't hit with everything that he'd gone through; however, that had been one of the longest and most terrifying nightmares that he'd had in quite some time, and it unnerved him.

To shake himself from this odd feeling of foreboding, Gohan looked over at Goten once more, who was still sleeping peacefully and showed no signs of waking up anytime soon, sleeping like a rock. He allowed another small smile to form on his features as he looked at the little boy, deciding to let the kid sleep in if he wanted to. He'd used up a lot of his energy with Gohan during their Super Saiyan spar before Videl came and after she left, and he'd entertained himself with chasing animals while he'd been teaching Videl. He was probably exhausted, though he probably wouldn't admit it, simply because of the fact that Trunks trained with his own father just about every day in the Gravity Room, which Goten thought was a lot harder than sparring with his older brother.

Gohan cast his little brother one last, protective glance, before he began to get ready for the new day.

* * *

Videl noticed that there was something…_off_ about Gohan.

She wasn't sure what. But there was something different about him today that she couldn't place her finger on. He was sometimes distracted during their flying lesson, his eyes seeming as if they weren't here in the present at times, and sometimes his eyes would widen, face contorting with pain for a second, before he tried to hide it. However, Videl didn't miss any of that, and also didn't miss the fact that he wasn't smiling and joking around nearly as often at he usually did.

Something was up, and she wanted to know what it was.

She knew that something was _definitely_ wrong when Gohan got that far-away look in his eye once more, not paying attention to her floating.

Videl snapped her fingers right in Gohan's face; the muscular teenager seemed startled as his body jerked as he was brought back to reality, quickly shaking his head and muttering a few things under his breath, things that didn't sound like any words she knew. Almost as if…they were in a different language.

However, she didn't pay it any mind, and was only focusing on the matter at hand.

"Gohan?" she asked, trying to search his pale features for any clues as to what was bothering him. "You've been acting kind of weird this morning."

"Huh?" Gohan replied, giving her his full attention now, his head whipping around so that he made eye contact with her.

"See?" Videl said with a light sigh. "You've been kinda distant all morning, and you're not joking around as often as you usually do. What's up?" However, the tone that she was using made her question sound more like a demand.

Gohan had no idea how Videl had managed to see how visibly shaken up the nightmares had left him. All the pain and grief was fresh in his memory, and he often found himself getting flashes of what happened in the past due to small sights that unintentionally triggered a memory. A little blood on the grass from his earlier spar with Goten, the scent of it hitting his strong Saiyan nose, suddenly made the scenery change to blue grass and green skies, where Vegeta was bloody and broken as he shed tears for his lost pride and his lost people; or, Gohan would see Mirai Trunks viciously coughing up blood, a huge, gaping hole where his midsection should have been from a cheap shot from Cell. A pretty little bird would place him back in the Cell Games arena, watching as Sixteen spoke to him before Cell crushed the Android's head without remorse, and make him remember the single bird that he had seen fly through his mind, remember how gentle Sixteen was with the animals, before his anger had snapped and he'd made the ascension to Super Saiyan 2. And always, always, the death of Goku would simply pop into his head—sometimes when he looked at Goten, sometimes when he looked at all the animals, making him remember his father…

The fact that he was having flashbacks in the middle of training only added to the unease of Gohan. The nightmares that he had usually didn't affect him physically; but these had been so vivid that they were causing him to momentarily relive little moments of the nearly traumatizing memories he had. And Videl had begun to notice the effect they were having on him.

"It's nothing," he tried to reply nonchalantly, thinking that he sounded convincing enough.

However, Videl's feminine instinct kicked in. When a guy says that something is 'nothing,' then _obviously_ there's _something_ that's going on.

"Come on, Gohan, do you think I'm stupid?" she asked him, placing her hands on her hips. Gohan quickly recognized this as the battle stance of the female gender—it was almost the same stance that his mother had taken when she yelled at his father for sneaking him off to train, and also the same stance that Bulma often took right before she was about to go into a rant about something that Vegeta did (like break something in the Gravity Room, which Bulma thought was _way_ too often).

"Look, Videl," Gohan said, his voice even sounding the slightest bit tired. "I'd really rather not go into details—let's just drop it, OK?" He was almost begging her to simply let this conversation slide.

But Videl was not one to be easily deterred from her goal. "Look, there's obviously something bothering you, and it's affecting the way you teach. I'm not sure exactly _what_ is bothering you, but maybe it'd help if you got it off your chest."

Gohan raised his eyebrow at her, as if saying, 'Why the hell do you _care_?'

"It's kinda weird, not seeing you grinning and joking," Videl admitted, looking at him. "I mean, when _I_ get in a mood, I often vent to Erasa, and afterwards, I often feel much better after telling her. Talking actually helps."

Gohan's surprise showed clearly on his face. This was coming from _Videl_, the one who believed in fight first and ask questions later? Now, the only thing that would make this day even weirder was Vegeta suddenly telling him that training wasn't _really_ all that important. Like _that'd_ ever happen.

"Don't look at me like that," Videl defended herself as she snapped back at his look. Then, she let out a sigh as her tone slightly softened. "Gohan, maybe it'd be easier for you tell someone else what you're going through. Something's obviously bothering you; maybe if you tell someone, it won't feel nearly as bad."

Gohan's onyx eyes made contact with Videl's sapphire ones, as he searched her gaze for any lie. However, Videl wasn't lying, and was actually trying to help him out when she felt that he needed it. He was the one who broke eye-contact first as he looked away from her, focusing his gaze on his little brother, who was, once again, chasing a little animal around while he waited for Gohan to leave Videl alone so that the little boy could perfect his flying skills.

He hadn't told anyone about his occasional, vivid nightmares because he hadn't wanted anyone worrying about him. However, he _did_ want to tell someone—_anyone_…but it couldn't be Videl. She wouldn't understand and wouldn't believe most of it.

"Please, Videl, just…just drop it," Gohan pleaded quietly, looking at the ground. "I can't…"

The pure agony that flashed deep within his obsidian eyes was what made Videl stop pestering him. Maybe, in this situation, talking about whatever was bothering him with her wouldn't be the best thing.

To Gohan's surprise, Videl easily said, "All right, fine—you're off the hook _this_ time."

Gohan felt relieved, and a small, familiar grin made its way back to his features. "Thanks," he told her sincerely, and then he felt that he had to give her a more understandable reason about why he wouldn't speak to her about his problems. "It's…it's just—"

"You don't have to say anything, Gohan," Videl interrupted him. "Let's just change the topic before I change my mind and start bombarding you with questions again."

At that, Gohan couldn't help but laugh a bit, shaking his head, while Videl smiled the slightest bit in accomplishment. Now _this_ was the Gohan she knew—the one that almost always had a gentle grin on his face, the one who would laugh at anyone's attempt at a joke.

"OK," Gohan agreed, grinning. "I think that you'd be able to go a bit higher now—you just need to push your ki even further under you. You wanna try and see how high you can go?"

Videl nodded, her blue eyes becoming determined as she focused on her ki, and tried to push herself up even higher than she had before. The teenaged boy nodded in approval of her progress, and then, the slight flicker of a very familiar energy caught his attention.

"Can you keep on working on that? I'm gong to go check on Goten," Gohan said to her, glancing towards the direction his brother was in.

"Sure," she answered, and Gohan flashed her another quick grin before going over to where he'd felt his little brother's energy flicker upwards a bit.

Eventually, Gohan reached where Goten was—the little boy was near a large cliff, which had three large holes in it that were obviously caused by energy blasts.

"Goten!" Gohan shouted, causing the little boy to jerk in surprise as he turned around to face his big brother, a slightly sheepish grin on his face.

"Oh…hi, Gohan!" he replied, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment as he tried to hide the cliff that he'd very obviously been blasting ki attacks into.

"What were you doing?" Gohan asked, his voice slightly stern.

"Nothing!" Goten instantly said. Then, when he saw Gohan's knowing look, he caved. "All right," he admitted with a little mope. "Well, you know that Trunks can do energy blasts, right? Uncle Vegeta teaches taught him how to."

"Yeah," Gohan replied, his tone suggesting that Goten further explain himself.

"Well, I wanted to practice my targeting, too, because I'm not exactly good at controlling it," Goten admitted as he nudged the ground with his boot absentmindedly, not making eye-contact with his big brother. "And since I don't know when you're going to train me, I decided to get a head start on it, and then ask you to help me out later…"

Gohan sighed. "Goten, you have to be careful," he gently scolded the little boy in front of him. "If you weren't able to control it, you could cause some severe damage. Remember, you're very, very powerful—one mistake, and the forest could be in flames. Just be careful, and next time, _tell_ me, OK? And I'll help you a bit with your energy control after Videl leaves, OK?"

Goten, still pouting a bit, looked up at Gohan. "OK," he relented, deeming disappointed that he wouldn't be able to really train now.

Gohan couldn't help but grin at his mope. "Hey, kid, it's not like I'm not ever gonna train you," Gohan said, smiling as he affectionately ruffled his little brother's thick black hair, causing Goten to laugh the slightest bit at the familiar gesture. Then, Gohan picked Goten up and placed the little seven-year-old boy on his broad shoulders, making Goten laugh with delight as Gohan held his ankles so that he wouldn't fall. Goten always loved it when Gohan picked him up, because Gohan was so tall compared to him, and it provided him a great view. He often wondered if this was what his father had done to Gohan, before he died.

Goten couldn't wait to finally meet his father who he'd heard so much about from everyone. Everyone had good things to say—well, except for Uncle Vegeta, but Goten couldn't remember when Uncle Vegeta _did_ have something good to say about _anyone_, really; however, Goten still loved him. He loved everyone in their family of friends, and he was sure that he was going to love his father just as much as he loved Mommy and Gohan.

The oldest half-Saiyan grinned as he looked up at Goten, who was touching the leaves of the trees he was able to reach now because of his perch on Gohan's tall shoulders. The little boy was laughing, making Gohan grin. His temporary flashbacks had stopped now, and for that he was grateful. He just wanted to take this moment and keep it forever—these little moments of peace that meant so much in the end.

Videl had stopped trying to float a bit higher—she'd managed a full four feet, and she was damn _exhausted_. She turned towards where Gohan had left to go get Goten, and saw them both coming out of the dense trees. What she saw made a small smile come to her face.

Gohan was carefully holding Goten by the ankles as the little boy was sitting on his big brother's shoulders. A few leaves and twigs were in their hair—Goten had sometimes grabbed at a tree branch, causing the leaves to fall and some branches to break—but they were smiling, even though they were both slightly dirty. The moment that Gohan placed Goten on the ground, the little boy tackled his older brother, surprising Gohan as the sheer strength and energy of the seven-year-old as he was knocked down by Goten. Both the brothers laughed as they engaged in a brotherly play-fight that wasn't even a spar, with Goten pretending to beat Gohan up while Gohan often pretended to die, only to spook Goten when he'd suddenly "come back to life."

"My boys are so close to each other. It's hard to believe that they're nine years apart in age," mused a voice from behind Videl, and she turned to see Gohan and Goten's mother, Chi-Chi, behind her.

Videl nodded, turning back from Chi-Chi to watch as Gohan deliberately allowed Goten to have the upper hand. Gohan was making a great exaggeration of passing out at the moment, and had his eyes closed, his tongue sticking out of his mouth. Goten was giggling, poking Gohan to try and wake him up. When he pulled back, a puzzled look on his face, Gohan suddenly opened his eyes and yelled "BOO!" in Goten's face, making the little boy laugh hysterically as he jumped backwards with fright, almost falling off of his perch on Gohan's chest now.

"Goten seems like a sweet kid," Videl said quietly.

"He is," Chi-Chi agreed. "And he looks up to Gohan like he's some type of god." The raven-haired woman smiled over at the blue-eyed teen. "Both of my boys are very polite, and I'm glad that they get along with each other."

"Gohan's so good with Goten," Videl murmured, watching as Gohan lightly blocked the half-hearted punches that Goten was throwing his way, making sure that neither of them was hurt.

"Well, Gohan _was_ Goten's father figure, besides a few other males," Chi-Chi said. "Gohan has been a positive influence on him, at least." However, not all the males of their group had a positive influence on little Goten, and she could name a certain Saiyan prince right off the top of her head. Vegeta was such a bad influence on the boy…but it also made sense why Goten would worship him. Trunks thought that his father was the strongest, coolest, most awesome person ever on Earth, and absolutely adored him. It only made sense that Goten would feel the same way, since his best friend did.

Chi-Chi got a mischievous glint in her eye as she said, "You know, he treats Goten almost like his son. I know that he'll make a great father one day."

"Yeah, I guess," Videl replied absentmindedly, not noticing the teasing glint in Chi-Chi's dark brown eyes. "He seems to be really good with children," Videl continued absentmindedly.

"And what are your thoughts on my oldest son's looks?" Chi-Chi asked. Videl suddenly realized what she'd been saying, and what Chi-Chi was now relating it to, and the blue-eyed girl found herself blushing fiercely.

"N-no…it's not like that, ma'am," Videl instantly stammered out, looking away from the older woman.

"Oh, please, don't call me _ma'am_, it makes me feel too old," Chi-Chi said, grinning at Videl. Thankfully, however, she didn't bring the subject back to Gohan, and Videl was truly relieved.

She looked back at where Goten and Gohan were still locked in a brotherly scuffle, and couldn't help but smile once more at the warm scene. She'd always wanted a younger sibling, but had never gotten one. However, she was content to simply watch Gohan play with his little brother. It seemed that Gohan had snapped out of whatever had been bothering him this morning on her own, and Videl was grateful. She couldn't imagine Gohan the way that he had been this morning—it just wasn't fitting for him.

It was apparent that he'd been through some pretty tough stuff in his life. He'd lost his father, that much she knew, and had to be the main male influence on his little brother's life.

However, he took his role seriously and tenderly. It was obvious that he cared for Goten, and that Chi-Chi was proud of her sons. The love that went around this little family was almost tangible in its intensity. Even though they weren't the richest people in the world money-wise, they had friendship and love between them.

It was then that Videl decided that she really wanted to get to know Gohan.

And not just because Gohan Son seemed to be a mystery to her, and that she could hold something against him when the time was right.

She just wanted to. She wanted to get to know the young man who was so gentle with his little brother, who was obedient to his mother…

And who blatantly would tell her that she looked pretty when she smiled, and that her eyes sparkled when she did that.

* * *

**I know that some of the dialogue from the nightmare****s isn't completely accurate, but, at the moment, I am unable to go check out those episodes again to get the exact words. Some of the words I remember from the manga (which is also awesome XD) but that's about it. And I absolutely LOVE little awkward interactions between Gohan and Videl, I just find them so damned entertaining XD.**

**Well, chapter lengths, from now on, will be more like this length, and I'm not sure how fast I'll update, but I'll try to update this as fast as I possibly can. The only good thing is that summer vacation is almost here, and homework is slowly dwindling down in its amounts, so I'll probably have more time to write stuff for you guys! Yay! :D**

**Oh, and about Gohan's nightmare—for some reason, I've always had the feeling that, every now and then, he'd get nightmares of the traumatizing things he'd seen as a kid. The poor baby had seen so much death at such a young age, and had been forced to fight—I would think that something like that would cause nightmares. I know it would for ME. If you don't like it, tell me, and I shall apologize in advance, but please don't flame! I am new to writing for this fandom, please keep that in mind! (It doesn't mean that I don't know much about DBZ—I'm borderline OBSESSED :D)**

**Anyways, enough about all that. Jeez, my A/N's are always so damned long! And I'm only making it longer…oops.**

**Ok, guys, thank you for reading, and please, please review! Hearing what you have to say TOTALLY makes my day! XD**


	3. Q and A Sessions and Stargazing

**Thank you all SOOOOO much for all of your wonderful and encouraging reviews! It's really encouraging considering that this is my first DBZ story, and I could post more if people ask me to, I guess, if you wanna see more DBZ stories from me! XD **

**Oh, and sorry for the little wait, I had a momentary case of writer's block, plus I have to work on a chapter for my other story, and I have finals this week AGAIN ugh! And even though I'm supposed to be studying, I'm writing a chapter for you guys…and this is considerably more entertaining than studying for finals :D. Yep, definitely much more fun. I hope this compensates for the little wait!**

**Thank you all for your encouragement, it really means a lot to me! Now, onto the story!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it.**

* * *

"So, Gohan," Videl began as they sat on the grass, after she'd exhausted herself with hovering in the air. She was able to float quite a few feet off the ground now with relative ease and could move a quite bit side to side, but her endurance needed to be worked on.

"Yeah?" Gohan replied, looking over at Videl as he quizzically raised his eyebrow at her.

The daughter of Hercule Satan absentmindedly began to uproot a few blades of grass from the soil, playing with the greenery before she asked, "What's your favorite color?"

"Huh?" the teenaged boy replied, looking at her as if she'd grown two heads.

"Can you just answer the question?" Videl snapped back, a slight blush forming on her cheeks, but she managed to keep it hidden from Gohan.

"Hm…" Gohan trailed off, looking into the sky as he seriously considered the question. What _was_ his favorite color? It wasn't as if he'd had plenty of time to choose one and contemplate on it.

Then, he saw odd flashes of things go through his mind as he thought of safety, friendship, and hope. The color of his father's boots. The sky. Piccolo's belt. Vegeta's spandex suit. Namek's grass. The bird that Sixteen had gently touched the feathers of. Puar's fur. Mirai Trunks' jacket. Bulma's hair.

Videl's eyes.

It was obvious to Gohan now what his favorite color was.

"Blue," he answered, absentmindedly running a hand through his spiky black locks.

"Why?" Videl asked curiously, trying not to be too obvious about her interest, however.

"Well, when I think of the things I value most—friendship and hope—blue is the first color that comes to my mind. Lots of things that I associate with friendship and hope are blue, I guess," Gohan replied with an absentminded shrug.

"All right," Videl said, continuing to play with the grass. "What about your favorite food?"

"Now, _that_, I cannot possibly answer, unless 'everything' is considered an answer to you," Gohan said honestly, grinning the famous trademark grin of the Sons as he looked at her.

"No, it is not an answer," Videl chastised him as she rolled her eyes. "Come on, what's your favorite food?"

"I _can't_ choose a favorite!" Gohan told her. "I like all types of food!"

"OK, let me rephrase the question…" The blue-eyed teenager looked into the sky as she thought for a moment, before she nodded to herself. "All right—if you were somehow stranded on an island and could only eat one food for two weeks until you were rescued, what would it be?"

"Hm…man, that's a _really_ hard question!" Gohan said, keeping the fact to himself that he was _never_ able to be stranded—he could simply fly away from the island without any problems at all, and, even if he somehow _was_ trapped on the island for some unfathomable reason, there still had to be some type of animal life on the island, and he was able to hunt. "But if I _had_ to choose…I'd say my mom's special dumplings! The ones she makes for me and my little brother that taste _so_ good!"

Hearing him talking so eagerly about food was something that made Videl grin the slightest bit. However, she was surprised about one thing—even though she'd seen Gohan eat inhumane amounts of food, he was somehow not dangerously obese—in fact, he was just about pure muscle, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Videl as her eyes unconsciously traced the muscular contours of his arms and what was revealed of his bare chest from his _gi_.

_Videl,_ _stop_ _it,_ she told herself, shaking her head quickly to chase these odd thoughts out of her head quickly.

"Where do you like to go to? Like, if you could go on a really long vacation, where would you go? The jungle, the forest…" Videl trailed off, letting him say what he wanted to.

Gohan's answer was almost immediate. "The lake or the river."

"Why?" Videl asked again. To her, it seemed a bit odd to want to go to a lake or river for vacation.

"Well…my dad used to take me fishing before…well, before he died," Gohan replied quietly, looking at the floor. "I…I remember how peaceful it was, and how he would laugh if we caught a big one, and…" He trailed off, quickly shaking his head as he forced a grin back on his face. "Yeah, that's it," he said, his voice only slightly strained.

Videl knew that there was more than Gohan was letting on. Whenever he mentioned his father, an odd emotion would flash in his eyes—what was it? Videl was unable to name the strange emotion flickering across the usually warm ebony depths of his eyes. Sadness? Maybe self-loathing? Possibly guilt? She couldn't be completely sure of what it was.

She decided to drop it, not wanting to go into it. The pain in his eyes was so raw that she would feel odd and intrusive if she asked him about it. Yes, she was very demanding, but she knew where there were boundaries.

"What about your favorite animals? Or do you even have a favorite animal?" Videl went on with her questions.

"Well, I like all wildlife, I guess," Gohan replied. "But if I have to choose a favorite animal…it'd be a bird." Android Sixteen gently stroking the feathers of that blue bird flashed in his mind, and he quickly shook the memories away before they could cling to his mind and actually reform into a flashback that he did not want to relive. "But some animals that I dislike are lizards, cockroaches, and grasshoppers." It was reasonable. Frieza looked like a lizard, and Gohan had seen him ruthlessly kill Dende and Vegeta, and then remorselessly make Krillin explode into a million pieces. Cell had a resemblance to a grasshopper and a cockroach, and Gohan hated Cell with a passion that was almost unimaginable.

"All right," Videl said, shrugging her shoulders. "What about—"

"Wait," Gohan interrupted her, and Videl snapped her head around to completely face him. "I think it's my turn now to ask the questions."

"What?" Videl demanded, glaring at him suspiciously.

However, he was only grinning. "C'mon, you asked me a bunch of things—now, let me ask you!"

Videl wasn't sure if she was completely comfortable with opening up to Gohan. She rarely talked about her personality and her favorite things with other people because she didn't really want to get too close to others, save the exception of Erasa, of course, and maybe Sharpener. However, it _was_ only fair that Gohan got a shot at asking her, too—after all, he'd answered her questions truthfully and without hesitance.

"OK," Videl replied, nodding towards him. "Shoot."

"Well, let me start out with what you did: What's your favorite color?" he asked.

"Red," Videl answered almost instantly.

"Why?"

Videl sent him a little glare, knowing that he was simply repeating what she had asked him. He only grinned in reply while she peevishly replied, "It's just a really nice color. Fiery, bright…I'm really not completely sure why, I just know that it's always been my favorite color."

"Your favorite food?" Gohan asked.

"In all honesty, I think that I like sour things," she admitted, "like limes, lemons…but not always that extreme. But I prefer sour things, and sweet things like chocolate are a close second."

Gohan grinned a bit more. "All right; now, dream vacation spot?"

"Away from civilization," she grumbled in reply.

He looked at her, confusion written all over his features.

Videl let out a sigh. "Being the daughter of the World Champion _isn't_ all that it's said to be. It's annoying—I rarely have a few real moments to myself because of all the reporters. Sure, Dad may love hearing his own voice and having his face broadcasted all around the world, but I don't really like it all that much. So, if I went away from civilization, then the media would stop hounding me."

Gohan often heard Bulma make complaints similar to the ones Videl was making now—except it was much worse for the blue-haired genius, because she was the smartest and richest woman in the entire world. The press often wouldn't give her a break, and many times Vegeta had caught them on their property—those reporters were never seen on Capsule Corp. property again because he'd scare them shitless, and Bulma would just manage to control her husband before he killed them in his annoyance. However, because the press and the media often followed her, her husband and son were also having slightly hard times; many people wanted to know about Bulma Briefs' mysterious husband, and about the child that she tried to keep as sheltered and away from the media as possible. Trunks probably felt the way that Videl did—being the kid of a super-famous person wasn't _all_ that it was said to be, and not too great.

"Well, _where_ away from civilization would you go?" Gohan asked.

"I think that I'd rather like to go to the beach," Videl said as she looked at the sky as she contemplated on it. "Yeah, the beach."

"Why the beach?"

"Well…you can't tell anyone this, OK?" Videl told him, looking at him seriously with her blue eyes. "I don't even really know why I'm actually sharing all of this with you, so you better keep your mouth shut, or I will _make_ you _pay_."

"Uh-huh," Gohan answered, in agreement that he wouldn't tell anyone and in slight sarcasm at the end, because he knew that Videl would be completely unable to even make him budge the slightest bit. He wasn't trying to brag, but his natural Saiyan genetics made him hard as a rock and naturally extremely strong.

When Videl was certain that Gohan wouldn't give away her secret, she answered him. "I would like to go to the beach because…it's pretty. It's nice and warm, and the air smells really nice, and the ocean looks really lovely. Especially when the sun's setting—I think that it's the most beautiful time to be at the beach to see the sunset against the ocean, and it's so calming and peaceful. The sand feels nice, and so does the water, and it's nice to hear the ocean waves and the slight cawing of seagulls…" Videl then realized how slightly philosophical she was getting, and felt a light blush beginning to stain her cheeks. She'd be damned if Gohan saw it, though, and she made sure to hide it from him. "If you tell _anyone_ about this, I swear that I will hunt you down and murder you in your sleep."

Gohan barely was able to contain his laugh, and he nodded at her. "All right, so don't tell anyone about this if I want to stay alive. Got it," he said with a slight chuckle as he inwardly shook his head. Right now, Videl was reminding him very much of Bulma and his mother. "What about your favorite animal?"

Videl stopped playing with the grass and was now leaning back against her hands as she looked up in the sky, before tilting her head towards Gohan a bit and giving him a half-grin. "Well, I really like predators," she admitted, "like wolves, lions, tigers…they're just so powerful and awesome."

"Is there a certain type of animal that you don't particularly like?" Gohan questioned.

"Hm…well, I've never really liked mice—or any type of rodent, for that matter," she answered. "I once had a bad run-in with mice…" She shuddered slightly with the memory.

"What happened?" Gohan wondered as he leaned in the slightest bit to show that he was interested.

"Well…uhm…" Videl trailed off with a slight blush as she remembered the certain incident that made her hate almost all rodents. "It's too embarrassing," she quickly said.

"Oh, come on," Gohan said with an internal eye-roll. "You've seen _me_ be embarrassed in school plenty of times! C'mon, _please_?"

Hearing the almost whiny little-kid voice he used at the end of his sentence made Videl crack the smallest of grins on her face. "OK, fine, I'll tell you…but what is said here _stays_ here, got it?"

"I think we already established this before," Gohan told her.

Videl let out a slight huff of air that blew her black bangs slightly from her face, before she condescended to telling Gohan the humiliating story.

"Well…I used to have a cobra as a pet—I like cobras as well, by the way—when I was about ten or eleven-ish. And…you know how snakes eat mice?" she asked him. When he nodded she continued. "Well, my dad decided to be a damn _genius_, and he went to the store and bought _live_ _mice_ for the snake to eat—he said that, if she ate living mice, that she would be healthier than if she ate already dead mice.

"Honestly, I didn't care—I thought that he was right, so I listened to him. And then, a little while after he returns from the pet store with the mice, he tells me that he can't find them. I'm just thinking that they somehow ran outside and just left, right? And later that night…"

Videl shuddered slightly as she continued. "I was taking a shower—the mice had been lost that morning. I turn on the water…

"…and then the mice made their reappearance. Apparently, they had _all_ been hiding in one of the cracks in the bathroom walls that was damn huge but was covered with something so no one could see it. And while I begin to take my shower, they all suddenly rush out at me and scurry all over me with their little bodies as they squeaked and their tails and—blech," she shuddered once more from the sheer disgustingness of it all, the repulsiveness of what had occurred.

"It was just _gross_ and scared me half to death. My dad thought someone was somehow trying to attack me. And all hell broke loose after that—I'll spare you the disturbing details. And I've never liked mice or rodents ever again."

She stopped, looking over at Gohan, who stared at her for a few seconds.

Then, the teenaged boy promptly began to crack up as he fell on the grass, laughing as he imagined it all happening inside of his head, holding his abdomen as he laughed heartily.

Videl's eyes suddenly became fiery as they hardened into a glare. "HEY! It's not funny! Don't laugh at my pain!"

This statement only made Gohan crack up harder as tears nearly streamed out of his eyes from his mirth.

For some reason, Videl was having a very hard time keeping a serious and pissed off face on. Maybe it was because Gohan's laugh was so easily infectious that, if you heard him laugh, you wanted to laugh right along with him, even if you didn't know what the hell was so funny that he was laughing at.

"Shut up!" Videl fumed, her face becoming red with both her anger and embarrassment as she quickly forced the feeling of laughing along with him away from her being.

"Can't…stop…" Gohan wheezed, in near hysterics on the grass. "Oh my god, mice infestation…Hercule going ballistic…somehow _losing_ the mice…!" He trailed off in laughter once more, tears of mirth beginning to form in his eyes as he struggled to breathe with how much he was laughing. It had been a pretty long time since he'd had a good laugh like this, and he welcomed it.

Peevishly, Videl suddenly swung a punch at him, and it landed on his shoulder.

"Ow!" she exclaimed in surprise as her eyes widened, and she drew her hand back in surprise. Gohan was still laughing as If she hadn't punched him at all, and when she'd punched him, it had _hurt_! It was almost as if she'd been trying to somehow punch a marble statue!

She probably just hit him exactly on the bone of his shoulder, that was all, a place not really affected by punches and that hurt the other person. The other alternative was that Gohan Son was actually made out of stone.

She didn't think it was the second option, so she went with her first guess.

Gohan tried to regain control of himself, but he was unable to stop laughing. His laughs _did_ manage to slow down a bit, though, enough for him to actually open his eyes and look at Videl's fuming face. It made him once again enter hysterics while Videl continued to silently give him a death glare that could rival his mother's any day.

"You think it's so damned _funny_, Gohan Son?" Videl hissed angrily, and, before Gohan could react, she lunged for him in cold blood. He suddenly found her on top of him, her knees on either side of his chest as she made half-hearted punches towards his face, while Gohan's eyes widened and he quickly blocked her blows on instinct, and then continued to laugh. She was just about as close to harming him as a butterfly was to a tiger.

With each punch aimed at his face, Videl suddenly felt more like laughing, actually having, dare she say it, _fun_ with Gohan right now.

"You…stupid…son of…a bitch," she said, each word accented with a punch towards his face, while he began laughing again. She fought hard to keep the smile off her face, and lost the battle as she suddenly broke out into a light grin.

"Shut…the hell…up," she continued to grunt, but the words weren't exactly that powerful since she was laughing right along with him against her own will. Eventually, she stopped trying to punch him and began to truly laugh as well, understanding how Gohan could see her story as funny.

However, she thought that Gohan was the only one who she would laugh with if her terrible, traumatizing event that had occurred with the mice had been told to him. And _only_ Gohan.

Why she thought that, she hadn't the slightest clue.

After they stopped, Gohan was wheezing with the strain of breathing, and Videl suddenly truly realized the position she was in—perched on Gohan's perfectly sculpted chest, her legs on either side of him. A fierce blush threatened to take over her cheeks, but she forced it down, getting off of him with as much dignity as she could muster. Oh, god, if her father had seen that, he would've _flipped_ _out_, jumping to conclusions that would be absolutely incorrect.

Gohan stood up, still shaking a bit with the aftermath of the laughter, his shoulders shaking as he muffled his laughter, gaining control of it. He quickly dusted off his _gi_, grinning brightly, running a few fingers absentmindedly through his thick black hair.

"Thanks for the laugh, Videl," Gohan said, grinning.

"_So_ happy that you find my pain _amusing_," Videl replied, but she couldn't help but smile lightly at him once more, making Gohan grin even more brightly, before Chi-Chi called the two teens over for lunch.

After lunch, Gohan and Videl worked a bit on her flying, before they began to ask each other more questions about the other.

Videl was one for action movies—a little romance was all right, but not too much. Gohan, too, was into action films with plenty of comedy as well. Videl greatly disliked shopping, but, if she had to, she would go with Erasa to the mall; Gohan didn't really have to go to the store that often, because his mother understood how much he hated it in there, and didn't want to torture the poor kid by stuffing him in a crowded mall. While Videl found punching people's faces in fun, Gohan found doing complicated calculus problems very entertaining…and, also, he liked to fight every now and then (he added that last bit because of the odd look that Videl had given him when he told her his first answer. But, hey, he was studying chemistry when he was _five_, and was already doing advanced trigonometry as well. How could you blame him?). Videl had always longed for a sibling, and Gohan was very glad that he had Goten in his life. Videl really disliked it when people only saw her as the daughter of Hercule Satan, and not her own person, with the media swarming her house on a very frequent basis; Gohan didn't really like when people insulted his family, and when other people were being bullies, hurting others just for their own pleasure. The weirdest thing that happened to Videl, so far, was seeing the Great Saiyaman fly and then realizing that it was the scrawny nerd, Gohan; the weirdest thing that happened to the half-Saiyan so far was…he couldn't exactly choose, because so many weird things had happened in his life, but, if he had to choose, he would say…high school (this comment made Videl laugh a bit). Videl's favorite subject in school was gym; Gohan's was lunch…and, he guessed, calculus (once again, he added that last part when Videl sourly informed him that she didn't count lunch as a subject, and even after he answered her question, she still looked at him oddly). She fought to prove to others that, even though she was female, that she was nothing to simply be pushed aside, that she was a force to be reckoned with, to prove that Mr. Satan's daughter was _just_ as damned strong as he was; and Gohan fought to protect nature, to be his father's living legacy, to protect his family and friends (and, if need be, the planet).

They didn't really get that much flying done that day, but neither of them really cared. Getting to know at least a little bit more about the other person had been worth it for the day.

* * *

When the nightmares hit Gohan again, he instantly felt that something was _definitely_ wrong.

Gohan woke up in a cold sweat, his eyes snapping open as they anxiously, quickly, darted around the room. When he realized that he was simply in his bed with his little brother, he breathed a sigh of relief, before clenching the sheets in his fists tightly. His forehead was covered in sweat, as was his bare torso, his eyes closing with relief once he realized that he was safe.

This had never happened before. Never had he had such vivid nightmares so close together—it had only been two days since the terrible nightmares and flashbacks had hit him, and, when he was hit with them, they usually wouldn't attack for at _least_ two weeks. Never had he had such colorful, vivid flashbacks simply two days apart.

And, truth be told, it unnerved Gohan. It even slightly _frightened_ him, because he had no idea what was going on.

That sixth sense that something was wrong was _definitely_ kicking in as he struggled to control his breathing after he had snapped awake from the series of nightmares/flashbacks that had happened, placing his forehead in his palm as he lightly gasped for air, his tongue darting out to moisten his extremely dry lips, before he swallowed to try to somehow ease his parched throat. Then, quietly, as to not arouse his sleeping little brother, he stood up slowly, and walked over to the bathroom to wipe the sweat off of his brow that had accumulated there after the vivid dreams.

As he stood in front of the mirror, Gohan's thoughts ran in anxious circles. Why was this happening? Why were the nightmares so vivid, so real? Why did he have this feeling of uneasiness, as if he should be on his guard at all times? _Why?_

Gohan shook his head after he splashed cold water on his face, before looking over at the clock that was in the bathroom.

It was 4:13. Amazing. He'd had just about four hours of sleep.

Gohan stifled a groan, knowing that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. The nightmares always left him too rattled up to actually fall asleep again.

The nightmares were different than last time, all except for when Goku died. That one was always omnipresent in his nightmares.

This time, he'd dreamed about different instances—when Raditz had first kidnapped him, easily knocking away his father in one punch, mercilessly beating his own brother in front of his nephew; on Namek, when Gohan had to fight the Ginyu Force, along with Vegeta and Krillin, when Recoome broke his neck, the agony blinding him and making him want to scream; when he saw Tien, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha all killed ruthlessly in front of him by Nappa, the helplessness that he felt as he tried to save his friends; fighting Frieza, seeing him nearly kill Krillin, seeing him ruthlessly blow Dende to bits, and then proceeded with beating Vegeta to near death; and, once again, seeing his father sacrifice himself for everyone else, trying to kill Cell, while it had all been in vain…

Gohan, once again, shook his head to clear his head of these thoughts, not wanting to go back there. However, he knew that he couldn't keep this bottled in any more. He was going to take Videl's advice and actually try to tell someone…but _who_ could he go to that would be blunt, to the point, and would be able to relieve him of some frustration and stress while he was at it through a good ol' spar?

The answer came to him instantly as he pulled on his clothes.

A good ten to fifteen minutes later, Gohan was in front of the large domed building of Capsule Corp. He rang the doorbell, and then winced when he realized that he could've simply mentally called Vegeta to tell him about his predicament.

A little while after he rang the doorbell, a very pissed-off Saiyan prince was standing in the doorway, clad in only a pair of sweatpants, revealing his bare, muscular chest and the numerous scars that were forever embedded within his skin, from battles and torture, Gohan knew. His arms were crossed, and he was leaning on the doorframe, his black eyes not in a good mood.

"What the hell do you want, boy?" Vegeta growled in annoyance. "Do you realize what damn _time_ it is?"

"Uh, yeah, I do," Gohan said awkwardly, looking away, absentmindedly tapping his toe in the grass on the front lawn of Capsule Corp. "But, um…well, I kinda wanted to talk to you about something."

The look that Vegeta was giving him stated clearly that the last damn thing that he wanted to do was _talk_ to _anyone_.

"It's not even four-thirty in the goddamn morning," Vegeta said in irritation, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What the _hell_ could you _possibly_ want to talk about at four-thirty in the _morning_?"

"Um…well…can we talk about it in the Gravity Room?" Gohan asked sheepishly.

Vegeta was slightly surprised at that, but didn't say anything, leaving the door open as he went back inside. Gohan took it as an invitation to go inside, and he went and closed the door behind him.

Vegeta was in the kitchen. "Give me five minutes, kid," he told him, turning around as he began to go up the stars. "I need to get ready. Meet me in the Gravity Room."

Gohan nodded, and then, as Vegeta disappeared up the stars, he turned around and walked down the many numerous hallways of Capsule Corporation.

He got lost at least twice, but eventually, he found the Gravity Chamber, where Vegeta was waiting for him, with a stack of white towels and a water bottle next to him on the gravity controls.

"I thought I told you to wait here while I got myself ready," Vegeta stated, annoyance glinting in his eyes. He was now wearing his traditional spandex training shorts, and he noticed that at least Gohan was wearing his _gi_. He hadn't really paid attention beforehand—he couldn't really pay attention to _anything_ as early as four-thirty in the _morning_. It was too early for any living being to be awake.

"Heheh…I got lost?" Gohan offered sheepishly, making Vegeta roll his eyes.

"Idiot," he muttered under his breath, placing the white towels off to the side of the GR. He then looked over at Gohan, standing near the main console for the chamber, and, once again, had his arms crossed against his chest in his traditional manner.

"I don't think you came here entirely for training, boy," Vegeta bluntly stated. "You haven't been taking your training seriously for quite some time. So spit it out. Why did you come here so damned early in the morning?"

"Well…um…" Gohan looked away, making Vegeta drum the fingers of his right hand on his left bicep in annoyance. When Gohan didn't answer, Vegeta let out an irritated growl.

"Look, I did not _want_ to wake up before four-thirty in the morning, but that infernal wench made me get the doorbell. If you interrupted my sleep for nothing, I swear to Kami and Dende and whatever gods are up there that you will pay _dearly_—"

"Do you sometimes get nightmares of what happened to you before?" Gohan blurted out suddenly. _That_ statement made Vegeta suddenly turn his head in the teenager's direction.

"Why?" the prince replied, both his voice and obsidian eyes guarded.

"Because…well, I've been getting them much, much more recently," Gohan confessed quietly, crossing his hands behind his back as he absentmindedly kicked the floor of the Gravity Room now, tapping his toe on the metal surface. "About all the stuff that's happened…usually, I only get them once a month, and even that's pretty rare…but I just had two nightmares over the span of three days. And they're so vivid…I don't know what's happening, Vegeta."

Vegeta looked closely at Gohan, before looking away at the boy, turning towards the controls for the GR. When he wasn't dismissed, Gohan guessed that Vegeta was waiting for him to say more.

"It's making me the slightest bit unnerved," the oldest Saiyan hybrid continued. "I haven't had nightmares this vivid in forever, and it's affecting me during training. While I was trying to teach Videl how to fly, I got flashbacks from seeing certain things, and she noticed that I was acting weird—"

"Wait—you're teaching someone how to fly?" Vegeta repeated, finally interrupting Gohan and looking at him oddly. When Gohan nodded, Vegeta didn't even need to ask the question that his facial expression clearly stated.

"She blackmailed me!" Gohan insisted. "She found out that I was Saiyaman, and she said that if I didn't teach her how to fly, that she'd tell everyone that I was Saiyaman!"

"How, exactly, did she find out that you were Saiyaman?" Vegeta asked, raising an eyebrow. "The disguise that the woman gave you seemed decent enough."

"Um…well, she kinda tricked me…I think that she was suspicious of me all along," Gohan replied, slightly sheepish. "And I might've accidentally let it slip when she asked me how I managed to get out of class…"

"Gods, you're an idiot," Vegeta muttered, rolling his eyes. "How did you _not_ see that coming?"

"I wasn't thinking straight, OK?" Gohan shot back defensively. "I know it was stupid and I know that I could've probably avoided all of this if I had really thought through what I was saying, but because of my momentary lapse of judgment, I let it slip! Jeez, will no one let it _go_? You act as if that's never happened to _you_ before!"

"I've never exactly _needed_ an idiotic superhero identity to 'save' people, boy," Vegeta snapped back with a roll of his eyes. "It's not like I have some hero complex like you and your father. So, no, I've never stupidly given away my secret identity to a woman who couldn't even hope to lay a finger on me."

"Oh, come on, I'm sure that you've told Bulma stuff that you don't want anyone else to know by accident," Gohan said.

"How the hell did we get to this topic anyway?" Vegeta said quickly, changing the subject, but Gohan knew that he was right. He wore an inward victory smirk, but knew that if he said anything else to Vegeta concerning that topic, that he was a dead man. And Gohan rather liked being alive, thank you, so he wouldn't want to piss off a Saiyan prince at four-thirty a.m.

"We're going to train at _least_ for two hours—you _owe_ me for waking me up so damn early," Vegeta grumbled in annoyance. "I should make you stay the whole goddamn day—"

"That wouldn't be a good idea," Gohan said hastily. "My mom would go ballistic, Goten might accidentally break lots of things if I'm not there, and Videl would kick my ass if I didn't come to training today."

At that name again, Vegeta raised a heavy black brow. "Why is this girl of such importance to you?" Vegeta asked. He'd heard her name for quite a bit from the boy, and she seemed to be one of the main things on Gohan's mind. "Isn't she the daughter of that pompous weakling?"

"Oh, you mean Hercule?" Gohan asked, and when Vegeta shrugged with indifference, he nodded. "Yeah, she's Hercule's daughter, but she's not nearly as bad as he is. She's actually pretty decent."

Vegeta looked at Gohan strangely then. "Are you sure that's _all_ you think of her?" the full-blooded Saiyan smirked at Gohan.

"Oh my god, Vegeta!" Gohan groaned. "You, too?"

"No, not really, but I've heard the woman babble about things and mentioning both of your names in the same sentence. I was just wondering to see if whatever rumors she was getting ready to spread to the rest of the group were true," Vegeta smirked back.

Gohan moaned dejectedly—Vegeta would _never_ let this one go, he knew it.

"She _hates_ me, Vegeta," Gohan insisted.

"You are sixteen years old, kid," Vegeta stated bluntly. "I'm surprised that you haven't had a girlfriend yet, much less haven't gotten laid by this age. And, from the way things seem, you're obviously attracted to this girl."

"Oh, god, Vegeta!" The half-Saiyan boy shuddered at the blunt way that Vegeta was stating things. "Can we stop talking about this? How about we train? Yeah, let's train and leave this topic!"

Vegeta smirked once again, but this time, it was one of victory. He had a feeling that the boy would've made him talk much, much more if he hadn't somehow made him uncomfortable enough to literally _beg_ to get beaten.

"Good," Vegeta said in approval, before turning towards the controls. "Let's start out at…one hundred and fifty," he stated. "Shouldn't be that hard for you, and might actually give me a light workout."

"But, Vegeta…" Gohan looked away again, crossing his arms behind him once more. "About the nightmares. Is…is there anything that I can do to somehow stop them?"

When Vegeta stood silent for a little bit, Gohan looked up to see that he was simply staring at the controls.

"There's no guarantee that your mind will stop showing you nightmares—you can't always control it," Vegeta admitted, surprising Gohan. The half-Saiyan teen had thought that the prince simply wouldn't reply and leave it at that. "But the training should help you out quite a bit—the more tired you are, the more heavily you'll sleep, the less chance there is of you having nightmares once again. Exhaust yourself. Most of the time, it works."

Gohan nodded, grateful that Vegeta had actually replied. "Thanks, Vegeta," he said gratefully.

"Hn," was Vegeta's monosyllabic reply, before adjusted the settings of the Gravity Room and finally engaged the gravity.

About three hours later, after numerous ki blasts, bruises, bloody knuckles and lips, tearing clothing, taunts, insults, glares, punches, and kicks, a few loud knocks sounded on the door of the soundproof room. Gohan and Vegeta both stopped simultaneously, both of them in their Super Saiyan forms as they were breathing heavily—however, Gohan's breathing was significantly more labored and heavier than Vegeta's, who quickly regained his breath.

"You've gone soft, boy," Vegeta said disdainfully as he powered down from the legendary golden form. Gohan did, too, panting with his exhaustion, while Vegeta disengaged the gravity. Gohan went over to the door and opened it, and then grinned a bit at who was there, before he continued to pant.

"Hey, Bulma," he greeted.

"Hey, kiddo, I was looking for you!" Bulma smiled, and then her eyes widened as she saw the slightly bloody state that he was in, and the bruises that were littered across his body. When she looked behind Gohan into the Gravity Room and saw Vegeta in a similar state, she sighed and shook her head, muttering something about Saiyans being masochists.

"You were? Why?" Gohan asked.

"Well, your mom just called me—she figured that, if you weren't at the house, that you were here," Bulma replied, while Vegeta quickly tossed Gohan a towel which the half-Saiyan teen easily caught without even really needing to look at Vegeta. Even if he hadn't exactly trained in a while, his naturally fast Saiyan reflexes were still rather sharp, and Vegeta hadn't really used that much strength in his throw.

"Anyways, she called just to make sure that you were all right, and also for me to tell you that Videl's already at your house," Bulma continued.

Gohan's eyes widened almost comically. "Already? What time is it?"

"It's…a quarter to eight," the blue-haired heiress told him, quickly glancing at the clock on the wall in the hallway.

"But she usually doesn't get at the house until eight thirty!" Gohan exclaimed.

"Hurry up and go take a shower—Vegeta'll swing by your house and grab you a not-torn-up _gi_, and, if mister _high_-_and_-_mighty_ doesn't feel like it, then I will ask my _much_ more compliant son, probably waking him up and leaving _both_ of us with a slightly crabby eight-year-old on our hands for the day." Bulma was pointedly looking at Vegeta, while huffed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms against his chest.

"_You_ go and fetch the boy's clothing, woman," he told her haughtily. "I'm not anyone's servant."

"Are you _kidding_, Vegeta? Do you know how _long_ it'll take me to get there by hoverjet?" Bulma snapped in reply.

"Then send our brat," Vegeta shot back.

"_No!_ He's still _sleeping_, you jerk! You completely exhausted him yesterday with your damned training, and I'm not waking him up to deal with a crabby kid all day!"

"Like I said before—_you_ go," Vegeta retorted.

"All right, so I have two options—either I wake up Trunks, or I go. All right," Bulma began, her voice deceptively sweet. "If we go with the first option, then _you're_ the one that's gonna be dealing with our pissed-off son the whole day while I sneak out of the house to get myself a long-overdue manicure. And if we go with the second, then _you'll_ be the one who has to explain to Chi _and_ Videl why Gohan took so long to get back because he didn't have respectable clothing because _someone_ was just too lazy to get off his royal ass and get the clothes. So, what'll it be? There's always the third option that _you_ go and get his clothes…"

"No, woman, I will _not_ stoop so low as to do such a menial task!"

"Oh my god, Vegeta, I swear that you are the most _selfish_ and _arrogant_ little son of a bitch that I've ever had the extreme displeasure of meeting! Just get his goddamned clothes, you jackass!"

"And _you're_ the most insufferable screeching banshee that I've ever come across in the _universe_! Once again, no, I absolutely _refuse_ to do so!"

Gohan quickly left, knowing that one of the many legendary arguments between the short-tempered couple was about to erupt, and he decided that he didn't want to be in the middle of this certain confrontation. He did what anyone sensible would do—cleared the _hell_ out of there, running upstairs to one of the showers in the extremely large building. Silently thanking Dende that he hadn't gotten lost, he quickly threw off his dirty clothes and went into the shower, cleaning off the perspiration that come onto his skin and the blood from the minor wounds that he had received from Vegeta.

The eldest half-Saiyan felt a rather high power level leaving the main compound of Capsule Corp, and internally laughed. Bulma had obviously won the verbal fight and had managed to force the prince into getting Gohan's clothes. The boy felt the irritation in Vegeta's ki as well as he quickly blasted off to the Son's little mountain home, and couldn't help but smile.

Eventually, when Gohan had completely gotten all of the blood off of his body and has cleaned off all the sweat, he got out of the shower and quickly dried himself with one of the towels hanging in the bathroom. He tied it around his waist and held it for good measure, before opening the bathroom door to see if his clothes had arrived yet.

He got the answer when his vision was suddenly obscured by purple as his clothes were thrown so forcefully into his face that he actually staggered backwards into the bathroom once more.

"Jeez, Vegeta, you didn't have to throw it _that_ hard," Gohan muttered, his voice slightly muffled by his clothing before he took it off of his face, to see an annoyed Saiyan prince standing in front of the doorway, his arms crossed against his chest in his traditional manner while his black eyes glared at his rival's firstborn son.

"You should've been able to catch that, boy," Vegeta snorted disdainfully. "Gods, you've really let this time of peace get to your head." And, without another word, Vegeta walked away from the bathroom, probably to take a shower himself.

"Thanks, Vegeta!" Gohan called after the retreating back of the full-blooded Saiyan.

All he got in reply was Vegeta's middle finger as he continued to stalk away.

Gohan, once again, chuckled to himself. Vegeta's prickliness was something that he was accustomed to, and didn't faze him that much. He then discarded the white towel and quickly put on his clean underwear and _gi_, finishing it up as he tied the red belt around his waist, tugging it to tighten it. Then, he quickly ran out of the bathroom and flew down the stairs, agilely jumping down the entire flight and landing gracefully on the ground, running out of the door and past Bulma, who'd been eating breakfast in the kitchen.

"See ya soon, Bulma!" Gohan called over to the heiress as he left the house. The delicious smells of the breakfast nearly made him stop, but he remembered that his mother was probably cooking as well, and he fought off the first initial instinct to stay at Capsule Corp. and eat his fill before he arrived home.

"Bye, sweetheart! Visit soon, OK?" Bulma said in reply, standing up and waving goodbye towards the teenager.

"I will!" Gohan replied with a grin, before he opened the door and took flight, back to his humble little home, where his mother, brother, and pupil were waiting for him.

* * *

Much to Gohan's surprise, Videl hadn't instantly pestered him with questions the moment that he landed on the grass. She also didn't pester him when he was eating his breakfast, or while he was walking outside so that he could train her.

Her questions began once they were out of hearing range of Chi-Chi.

"Where the hell _were_ you this morning?" Videl asked him, placing her hands on her hips. "I thought that I'd be able to get some extra training in today if I came a bit earlier, and it turns out that you're not here!"

"Heheh, sorry about that, Videl," Gohan said sheepishly, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his head. "I was visiting a friend for a little bit, that's all, it probably won't happen again."

"Who was this _friend_ of yours?" Videl instantly demanded to know, suddenly feeling a surge of jealousy as she glared at him suspiciously.

"He's a family friend—I've known him since I was five," Gohan answered offhandedly, and Videl's jealousy melted away when she heard that it was a _he_, not a _she_, that Gohan had visited.

"This won't happen again, right?" she said.

"It shouldn't—and, if it does, I'll let you know, all right?" he offered.

Videl thought about this for a moment, before she nodded in condescension.

Gohan grinned at her. "All right. Now, we should work on getting you higher off the ground now, and work on your moving from side to side. You seemed to handle floating pretty well yesterday with relative ease, so we'll float and practice moving around a bit, all right?"

"OK, I'm ready," Videl said with a determined look in her eyes, waiting for Gohan to teach her.

The day passed, and eventually, Videl had managed to float a good fifteen feet off the ground and move in a slight circle as she hovered. However, it drained her of her energy very much, and had asked Gohan if they could take a break as she nearly collapsed on the ground. Gohan, of course, agreed that she could rest, and she'd flopped down on the grass, looking up at the sky as she caught her breath.

Gohan mimicked her, so that both of them were laying on their backs, staring at the sky. It was a little past two-thirty in the afternoon, and they had been training nonstop ever since he'd come back and after he'd eaten breakfast.

Gohan placed his hands behind his head, interlacing his fingers together as he watched the white clouds pass by him, his eyes at half-mast as he lazily watched them pass by in the sky, one of his knees bent and the other one resting on top of that one, his left ankle touching his right knee. Videl had one arm folded across her middle, the other one thrown out behind her as both of her knees were slightly bent as she, too, looked into the sky, watching the clouds pass by without a care in the world.

"That one looks like a swan," she suddenly said, and Gohan turned to look at her.

"Which one?" he asked.

"That one—see?" Videl told him, lifting up her right hand, which had been resting on her waist, as she pointed to the cloud that was passing by them with her finger, moving it to show him the different parts that she saw as she explained. "It looks like a swan. There's its head, and there's its long neck, and there's its body and wings."

"Hey, I see it," Gohan grinned as he saw the figure in the clouds.

"And over there, I see a tree—there's the trunk and all the leaves coming out from it," she continued, now moving her hand as she pointed to a different cloud.

"Do you often do this?" Gohan asked curiously. "You know, watch clouds and pick out their shapes?"

"Sometimes," Videl answered with a careless shrug, allowing her arm to fall on the grass on her side, her fingers almost touching Gohan. "Erasa and I often do this when we hang out in the summer. Some of the things that _she_ finds are _really_ creative, I have to say. Once, apparently, she found a _mascara_ _wand_ while I saw nothing but a stick."

Gohan laughed a bit at that, turning towards Videl, who was looking at him with a small grin on her face, before she turned her eyes back to the sky.

"What do you see?" she asked him.

"Well…" Gohan turned his gaze back to the blue, blue sky, filled with fluffy white clouds, and tried to make shapes out of them.

"That one, over there…that one looks like a dumpling," he offered, taking one of the hands from behind his head and jabbing it in the direction of the cloud that had just passed. "And that one—that one looks like a wonton. Oh, and that one over there looks like an egg roll! And there's a slice of pizza, over there!"

Videl turned her eyes back to Gohan, amusement glittering in her blue eyes. "Is food _all_ that you can think about?" she asked him teasingly.

As if answering her teasing question, Gohan's stomach decided to join in on the conversation, and suddenly emitted an extremely loud growl. A crimson blush began to make its way onto his pale cheeks as he looked away from her, while Videl laughed at his embarrassment.

"I guess I have my answer," she joked.

"I can't help it, I'm hungry," he defended himself instantly. "I didn't have lunch."

"Well, maybe we _should_ have something to eat—then, you'll be able to actually see other shapes in clouds besides food," Videl told him, shaking her head with slight laughter as she sat herself up while she spoke. Gohan had quickly followed suit, his cheeks still red from his embarrassment. Much to his utter mortification, the moment that the word 'food' left her mouth, his impatient stomach instantly agreed with her as it rumbled loudly once more.

Videl found his embarrassment to be quite hilarious, and couldn't help but laugh as his cheeks flushed an even deeper crimson, contrasting greatly with the pale complexion of his skin. They both the walked to the small house, where Goten was already wolfing down his inhumanely big portions of food, another pile stacked high next to him for Gohan.

The young human woman couldn't truly fathom how much food Gohan ate, and how _quickly_ he ate it—he seemed to be _inhaling_ the food, and, while she only had a decent-sized human portion, he was wolfing down insanely large amounts of food a the speed of light, while Chi-Chi looked at her sons with amusement glittering in her dark brown eyes. Once again, as Videl looked at how much food was being eaten, she found herself in awe at how neither Gohan nor Goten were extremely obese kids, both of them actually seeming to be in the peak of physical condition.

After Gohan _finally_ finished his lunch, he was actually able to focus more on their cloud-gazing game. They both resumed their original positions on the grass, lying the slightest bit closer to each other this time, though, but neither of them was truly conscious of that fact.

"There's a rabbit," Gohan supplied, pointing towards one of the clouds.

"Mm-hm," Videl agreed. "I see it. I think that one looks kinda like a witch's hat, you know, those tall, pointy ones?"

"Yeah—and over there, there's a turtle!" he said, jabbing his finger near the cloud that looked like a pointed witch's hat. When Videl looked at him in slight incomprehension, he showed her the points on the turtle. "Look, there's its head, and that blob that makes up its body is the shell, and the little things that stick out are the flippers, see it?"

"Uh-huh," she replied, nodding as she saw what he was seeing, grinning. "Wow, you actually have a pretty good imagination when food isn't the only thing on your mind."

Gohan let out a slightly aggravated sigh, looking over at her with only the slightest bit of annoyance in his onyx eyes. "You are _not_ gonna let that go, are you?" he asked; but it sounded more like a statement, one of defeat.

Videl couldn't help but laugh as the tone of defeat in his voice. "Nope," she grinned, playfulness dancing within her sapphire eyes.

"I thought as much," Gohan muttered, but couldn't help but grin the slightest bit at the humor that Videl had gotten from his embarrassment. He really liked it when she laughed and smiled—she looked even prettier when she smiled, and her laugh sounded oddly musical. He especially liked it when he knew that _he_ was the one that made her laugh, that he was the cause of her happiness and her mirth.

"Now I see a butterfly," Gohan suddenly said, pointing at another cloud that was passing by them, making Videl bring her eyes up to the sky once again.

"Ah, I see! And next to it, there's an umbrella," she answered.

They continued playing the little cloud-gazing game for a while, each of them pointing out the shapes that they saw in the clouds. Some of the figures that they saw in the clouds were very creative—Gohan apparently was able to discern a frog from an odd blob of a cloud, but, once you looked for it, you were able to see the amphibious shape that Gohan had seen; from a few odd wisps of cloud, Videl managed to see a vague ribbon that was tied into a bow.

After dinner, as night came, they decided to switch their game to making shapes from constellations, since there were no more clouds to use, but there were so many stars in the sky. Videl wasn't really used to seeing all the stars in the sky, having grown up in an extremely populated area, but out here, in the rural areas, the sky was so _clear_ at night, and there were _so_ many stars, tiny diamonds glittering in a sea of velvety blue. Both she and Gohan were able to make many different shapes from the stars—animals, objects, many things. Stargazing was slightly easier for them to come up with shapes than cloud-gazing, and they did not tire of their game anytime soon, each of them wanting to see what the other was able to come up with. They didn't do any more training than the training that they'd done nonstop earlier, and neither of them honestly cared, each of them enjoying the quiet moments as they looked into the beautiful skies for figures.

Suddenly, a little ball of orange energy flew up to Gohan and landed right next to the half-Saiyan teen, laughing as he stood near his older brother. Gohan looked over to Goten, and raised an eyebrow.

"What's so funny, Goten?" Gohan asked his little brother. The young boy knelt down near the teenager, close to his ear.

"Trunks says that Uncle Vegeta's not really happy with you," Goten giggled quietly, leaning down to his big brother's ear so that Videl wouldn't hear. "He just told me that, during the day, Uncle Vegeta kept on saying stuff about how you waked him up before any 'sane being' should be up, and how Auntie Bulma made him get the door. 'Cause you waked him up before four-thirty, he's not happy with you at _all_."

Gohan cracked a light smirk. "Goten, have you honestly _ever_ seen him happy with anyone?" he joked.

Goten laughed once again. "No, not really," he answered truthfully. "But he's more angry at you than he normally is."

Gohan chuckled, shaking his head. "I figured he would be," he told his younger sibling. "What else did Trunks say?"

The little boy looked up into the sky for a few moments, pondering. "Nothing else, really," he replied, looking back down at Gohan. "Oh, but Mommy wanted me to tell you that she wants to know where you go if that happens again—she was really worried, and I was, too. I missed you," Goten told his brother quietly, and he reached out and wrapped his little arms around his big brother's neck. Gohan sat up, lifting himself off of the ground with his abdominal muscles as he gently returned Goten's hug.

"I promise, I'll tell Mommy and you before I go anywhere else like that, OK?" Gohan vowed solemnly.

"OK," Goten agreed quietly with nod, still gripping the older male's purple _gi_ tightly. "I love you, Gohan."

Gohan smiled at his little brother. "I love you, too, squirt," he replied affectionately, gently kissing Goten's forehead when Goten pulled away from the tight embrace that he had shared with his older brother. Goten smiled at the familiar nickname that Gohan sometimes called him, and giggled when Gohan ruffled the haphazard black spikes that made up his hair, exactly like his father's.

"Goten!" Chi-Chi called from inside of their small house. "Come back inside, it's time to start getting ready for bed!"

"Awh, but Mommy, I'm not tired!" Goten called back, but, nevertheless, he let go of Gohan and began to fly back to his house. When he little brother leapt out of his arms, Gohan reclined once more on the grass, tucking his hands under his head again.

Almost as soon as he was out of sight, the first thing that left Videl's mouth was a question of pure shock. "You're _related_ to _the_ Bulma Briefs?"

At that, Gohan slightly winced. _Crap,_ _she_ _heard_ _us,_ was the first thought that crossed his mind. Apparently, neither of them had been quiet enough with their little conversation. Then, he actually processed the true question that she'd asked.

"No, we're not related to her," he answered. However, this did not seem to satiate Videl.

"Then why'd Goten call her 'Auntie'?" she demanded of him.

"Well…ah…she's kinda a close family friend," Gohan replied, slightly sheepish. "She was like an older sister to my dad, and was kinda like an older sister to me when I was younger, and is like an aunt to me and Goten now. I've known her since I was…four years old."

Videl's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Holy crap," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head. That was _definitely_ a surprise. But, then again, anything dealing with Gohan was certainly odd, so she shouldn't've been _that_ surprised when he dropped that bomb on her. Gohan seemed to be _full_ of surprises.

Then, Videl remembered a little something else that Goten had said. "Hey, why'd you wake up before four-thirty this morning?" she asked curiously. "Even _I_ think that's a bit too early for anyone to be up."

"Oh…I just…wasn't able to sleep, is all," Gohan replied, a half-truth. Not a lie, but not the complete truth, either, as he watched the stars glitter in the dark night sky.

He looked up at Videl, and her face said that she did not believe his words at all. Gohan let out a light sigh at this as he shook his head, before turning his gaze back to the stars once more.

"Come on, Gohan; what happened?" Videl asked him quietly, and, surprised by how gentle her tone of voice was, Gohan turned back at her to stare at her, his slightly surprised obsidian eyes making contact with her lovely sapphire ones that seemed even deeper in the starlight. Shockingly, her blue eyes weren't filled with the demanding that they always had when she asked him a question—they were gentle and compassionate, really wanting to know what was going on to make him somehow feel better.

"Videl, it's…it's nothing," Gohan said, looking back at the stars before he closed his eyes, lightly shaking his head, hoping that she would just drop it.

After a few seconds, the young man felt a feather-light touch on his skin, and his eyes snapped open to see that Videl was gently touching his collarbone, the skin that was exposed of his chest because of his _gi_, and was propping herself up next to him, supporting herself with her right arm. He was mesmerized by her eyes—they were pools of endless, dark blue in the nighttime, having compassion gently sparkling within their depths. It seemed that her eyes each had a star caught in their immeasurable depths, the depths that, if Gohan felt that he would travel the slightest bit too far, he could possibly drown in. So lovely…

"Please, Gohan," Videl whispered, her voice gentle and soft. "I just…I wanna know what's bugging you. You can tell me, I'll listen."

Gohan continued looking deep into her eyes, as if searching her gaze for any lie. His amazingly dark eyes, the beautiful twin pieces of onyx, were scrutinizing her gaze lightly, trying to catch any sight of falseness in her tone or her gaze. However, she wasn't lying. She wanted to know what was going on with Gohan. Knowing that he hadn't been able to sleep was something that she knew that she shouldn't be concerning herself with, but she couldn't stop herself from caring. She wanted to make sure that Gohan was all right.

God, what had _happened_ to her during the past five days? Before, she never gave a flying shit about Gohan Son; now, she wanted to know what was bothering him. Would wonders never cease?

Gohan sighed lightly once more, looking back up into the sky, knowing that it'd be easier for him to talk to her if he wasn't making direct eye-contact with her.

"I…sometimes, I get nightmares," he confessed quietly to her. "Of…of when my dad died. I saw it happen."

A small gasp escaped from the young woman's mouth, her eyes wide. "Oh my god…I'm sorry, Gohan," she told him truthfully. She didn't know that he'd actually _seen_ his father die right in front of him. Videl couldn't imagine what it would be like to see her own father killed right in front of her. Sure, sometimes, she felt that he was nothing but an overly pompous bag of hot air, but she loved him to death. Seeing him die right in front of her eyes…

It was too terrible for her to really think about.

Hearing Videl whisper those words to him, so gently and so honestly, made Gohan look over at Videl once more, seeing the compassion and pity in her eyes. He looked back at the stars, gently continuing with what he was saying.

"I rarely get the nightmares…but when I do, it's like…like I'm reliving it all over again," he continued, closing his eyes as he remembered. Not only the death of his father had he relived far too many times, but the other things that he'd experienced as well; seeing his friends die at the hands of Nappa, seeing Piccolo die as an attempt to save Gohan; watching as Frieza killed Dende, ruthlessly beat and killed Vegeta, and blew Krillin to bits; feeling the indescribable pain of when Recoome broke his neck back on Namek; watching helplessly as Mirai Trunks was killed by Cell while Vegeta went ballistic over the death of the future son that he had constantly denied; hearing Sixteen's desperate plea before Cell ruthlessly crushed the Android's head right in front of Gohan; seeing the smile on his father's face as he gently told him that he was proud of his son, before using his Instant Transmission to take both him and Cell away from the scene…

"I've…I've always felt the slightest bit guilty about Dad's death," Gohan said softly, seeming to not be speaking to Videl anymore, simply saying his thoughts aloud as his eyes got lost in another time, in all the things that he'd seen. As a little boy, being thrown into the battle hadn't been that bad—it was like one big adventure. But then, realizing how many times you could've _died_, realizing that so many _other_ people died just because you were too _weak_ to save them…

"He was protecting me. I did something stupid, and he tried to fix my mistake. And he paid with his life," the half-Saiyan teen ground out between clenched teeth as he viciously gripped his hair in his anger and self-loathing, shutting his eyes. "I should've done something…but I was too scared and angry and…"

He felt the sting of tears threaten to leave the corners of his eyes, but he forced himself not to cry like a wimpy little baby in front of Videl. He sharply turned his head away, closing his eyes tightly to prevent the tears from escaping, taking slightly shallow breaths that hissed through his teeth and nose. But, suddenly, the emotions were all coursing through him once more—pain, agony, grief, hopelessness—all of them surging against him like a sudden flood without warning, as if the dam that had been so strong that stopped them from flowing had finally been broken.

"It was all my fault…" Gohan whispered. "All my fault…if it hadn't been for me, then he…he'd still be alive…I killed him…because of my one _stupid_ _mistake_—!"

He had completely forgotten that Videl was there, listening to his whole tirade of anguish and anger at himself for not being strong enough to protect his father. She was quiet, looking at him with newfound compassion in her gaze, realizing that he really _was_ hurting more than he ever let on. Who knew that Gohan, the almost always cheerful kid in the class, was hiding something like this? Something that he wasn't even fully conscious of that he was showing to her?

Seeing him like this made something odd twist inside of her, and she had no idea why. It was almost as if she was experiencing the emotion as well, simply by seeing Gohan's pain and agony.

And she knew that she had to help him, somehow, even if he didn't want it.

Gohan was still struggling to control his power as it began to slightly fluctuate within him—if he didn't keep it under control, than the others would sense it and think that something was wrong. He abruptly sat up, one hand gripping his black hair tightly and the other one resting on his bent knee as he struggled to regain his breath and valiantly fought back the tears. But it was all his fault. All because of his stupid, goddamned pride, his father was gone.

It was _his_ fault.

All his fault.

It was then that he was suddenly conscious of a pair of thin arms wrapping around his thick, muscled neck, resting on his shoulders. Gohan slowly opened his eyes, which were slightly shiny with the unshed tears that he was struggling to keep in, and was able to see through the slight haze that clouded his vision that Videl was looking back at him gently, before she rested her head in the crook of his neck as she hugged him gently.

Videl honestly had no idea what, exactly, she was doing, but she knew that, sometimes, all a hurting person needed was a hug of reassurance and companionship. And she knew that, as of now, Gohan needed that, and she would be the one to provide the embrace.

For a few moments, all that was heard was the slightly labored breathing of Gohan, before, suddenly, his warm, muscular arms detached themselves from their fetal positions on his body and wrapped around Videl, hugging her gently in return. She kept her mouth shut, not wanting to say anything—she wasn't completely sure of what happened because Gohan's mutterings had been vague, and didn't want to say anything that she'd possibly regret in the future, and she opted for silence while he held her close to him. He was so _warm_, she noticed as she leaned slightly against his chest. She realized that this was the closest that she'd ever been proximity-wise to Gohan, but she didn't care at this moment. Her dad could bitch at her all she wanted if he ever found out about this, but Gohan needed it right now.

When she felt a single one of his tears hitting her neck, Videl felt an odd burst of sudden sorrow, and she suddenly felt like crying, as well. Just like his laughter, his sorrow was practically infectious. However, the thing that Videl also wanted to cry about was the fact that Gohan had kept this all bottled up, without telling anyone else, keeping it behind an almost-always-happy façade. Knowing that he'd gone through something so terrible when he was just a little boy…it was so unfair. No one should see their father killed right in front of them, and no one should feel guilty about it, either.

They seemed to be locked in a timeless bubble as Gohan's hot tears lightly hit Videl's neck every now and then. She kept herself strong, not complaining whenever he'd clutch her a bit tighter, as if he was a lost child seeking reassurance from a mother. Comfortingly, she ran one of her hands through his thick black hair, continuing to hold him.

Eventually, Gohan's shuddering in her arms had ceased, and he gently pulled away from her, anxiously wiping at his eyes as if to hide that he'd been crying, ashamed.

"I'm sorry about that," Gohan told her honestly, but his voice was slightly scratchy from his previous crying.

"Yes, you should be sorry," Videl told him. "Sorry that you kept that bottled up for so long! You could've told me before, you know…I'm sorry about what you've had to go through," she added, looking down.

Gohan resumed his original position on the grass, lying down slowly, his hands behind his head. He felt surprisingly better after that little unleashing of his emotions as he'd held Videl close to him, drinking in her surprisingly intoxicating scent for a human.

"Thanks for feeling that you could trust me with something like that," Videl continued quietly.

"It's nothing," Gohan replied with an absentminded shrug, and then he turned his head and lightly grinned at her, and Videl suddenly realized how handsome he was when he grinned. The moonlight accented the pale features of his face, which greatly contrasted with the onyx color of his hair and eyes; his black eyes were warm and lightly playful, that same gleam that she always saw in them there once again. That spark had gone away when he was talking about his past, but now it was back once more. "Actually, I should thank you. You were right—it helps to tell someone else."

"Aren't I a genius?" Videl teased, making Gohan laugh a bit as he shook his head.

"Yes, you are," he agreed, chuckling.

Videl smiled at him, lying down as well next to Gohan. The arm that was thrown behind her lightly touched his elbow, but he didn't seem to mind, and they continued to gaze at the stars silently.

Eventually, Videl heard steady breathing next to her, and turned to see that the teenaged boy had fallen asleep, his eyes closed as he breathed in and out deeply. His chest gently rose and fell as he slept, and the slightest of snores was emanating from him as he delved even deeper into the realm of sleep. The snoring didn't even sound exactly like snoring—it sounded more like _purring_, if possible, making Videl crack another grin at the thought. Just the thought of Gohan actually _purring_ seemed absolutely adorable to her.

Eventually, it was getting rather late—the sky was growing even darker, and she knew that she was in for it when she finally returned home. Seeing Gohan sleep so peacefully, she was loathe to wake him up, but she knew that she had to so that he could go to bed properly.

"Hey, Gohan," she whispered harshly, poking his shoulder.

"Five more minutes, Mom…" Gohan mumbled sleepily in reply.

Videl actually laughed a bit at that. "I'm not your mother, you idiot," she told him, shaking his shoulder now. "Come on; wake up so that you can actually sleep on your comfortable bed."

"Huh…?" he muttered, and his eyes opened slowly, blearily blinking the sleep out of them.

Videl cracked a smirk at him. "Come on, get off of your lazy butt and go back home—I have to go back to my place, too," she told him.

"Oh, OK," Gohan replied, though she could tell that he was still half-asleep as he responded. The truth was, the earlier, vigorous three-hour spar that he had with Vegeta under two-hundred times gravity (Vegeta had changed the setting purposely to see if Gohan could stay in the game, and he did, but just barely) had completely exhausted him before, and now, that exhaustion was catching up with him. He barely registered what was happening now.

"See ya tomorrow, Gohan," Videl told him in farewell, grinning a bit.

"Yeah, see ya, Videl," Gohan returned, and then let out a huge yawn right after he spoke, stretching his arms behind him to stretch his slightly sore muscles from the intense spar with the Saiyan prince. While Videl popped open the capsule that contained her hoverjet, Gohan was walking towards his home, letting out another yawn from his exhaustion, making Videl grin a bit again.

She looked at the time in her hoverjet; it was 9:56. Usually, the latest that she would _ever_ stay out of the house was at 9:30, and she knew that her dad was going to be very suspicious and that she was going to get a lecture when she got home.

However, if she had the choice, she wouldn't change a thing today.

Helping Gohan out had been worth it.

* * *

**Well, I hope you guys liked! So, how'd everyone like my Vegeta? Did I write him well? This is my first time writing Vegeta, and he's such a complicated guy (but my favorite character EVER, right alongside Bulma and Trunks :D).**

**Anyways, what'd you think? Anyone OOC? I hope I didn't screw up anything…but I just HAD to put this because of a momentary bust of 'genius' (sarcastic tone there) that my mind just wouldn't stop thinking, so yeah. I really hope that this chapter hasn't disappointed!**

**Thank you for reading! And please review! Thanks! :D**


	4. What Friends Do

**Wow, it seems that some of you guys really like this story, huh? You have no idea how motivated and happy that makes me! Thank you SOOOOOOOOOO much for the encouragement and the reviews, it means a lot! I feel all warm and fuzzy inside, thanks! :D**

**Anyways, onto the story!**

**Disclaimer: Guys, if I owned DBZ, Vegeta and Gohan would be shirtless much, MUCH more often in the show. I mean, come on! In almost every single fight that Goku gets into, _he_ loses his shirt, but I've never really seen Vegeta and Gohan lose their shirts in fights! Maybe once, but that's NOTHING! I swear to Kami, Goku ALWAYS loses his shirt in EVERY single DAMN fight that he gets into! Why don't Vegeta and Gohan lose their shirts as often as that? Huh? So, if you haven't guessed, I don't own DBZ. But if I did, I would make that change—Vegeta and Gohan would be shirtless WAY more often. You girls who are reading this, raise your hands if you agree with me. And be honest! And for those of you who were weirded out by my utter weirdness…sorry about that.**

**Well, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The sixth day was spent solely on training.

Videl had suddenly returned the next day with a fierce determination to somehow be able to fly with ease, not with the exhaustion that she often felt after she flew, which meant that her endurance definitely had to be built on.

For a while, Gohan simply spent time teaching her how to conserve her energy, so that she wouldn't exhaust herself with flight. Then, the only way to build endurance is through practice, so, for just about the whole day, they were floating, with Videl slowly getting better and better, not getting as tired as she used to and being able to gain more altitude and to be more mobile in the air. They continued all the time before lunch, and after lunch, Videl went right back to practicing on her floating and maneuvering.

Something had changed, though, since yesterday. Neither of the two could quite put their finger on what had changed, but there seemed to be something different for each of them. For some reason, Gohan felt…lighter, in a sense, as if he'd been carrying something very heavy but that it'd been relieved, and he hadn't even known that he'd been carrying it; Videl realized that she was smiling a little bit more often at Gohan, true, genuine smiles.

Neither of them truly knew what had happened, but they didn't mind the changes. They liked them, actually.

During training today, minimal talking was done, however, because Videl was so focused on learning how to fly with as much ease as Gohan and Goten did, and it left little room for conversation as she improved on her endurance, mostly by herself. As such, it gave Gohan more time to spend with his little brother in training him for the tournament, making the little boy significantly happier.

"Gohan," Goten whined slightly when he and his big brother were a far enough distance from Videl that she wouldn't hear their conversation. She wasn't even paying attention, closing her eyes intently and focusing on her flying skills.

Gohan recognized the slightly pouty tone in his little brother's voice, and looked down at the kid. They both had been taking a temporary rest, because Goten was tired out from training with Gohan so much.

"What is it, Goten?" Gohan asked.

"Why can't we train as Super Saiyans when Videl's around?" Goten complained.

Gohan sighed, shaking his head. "Goten, you know why we can't."

"No, I don't!" Goten insisted. "Why?"

The half-Saiyan teenager let out another slightly frustrated sigh. "Not everyone is as…_gifted_ with powers as we are. You know what we are—you, me, and Trunks are half Saiyan, because Uncle Vegeta and Daddy are both Saiyans while Auntie Bulma and Mommy are humans. We're very, very powerful, and some of the humans don't want to accept the fact that there are aliens."

"But, Gohan," Goten said petulantly, "you're the one who beat Cell! Don't they already know?"

Gohan sighed once more. Kami, why the hell was he _sighing_ so much? "Goten, it's…it's complicated," he tried to explain. "Not all of the humans know about our part alien origins, and some of them would, quite frankly, freak."

Goten seemed to actually begin to see what Gohan was telling him. "Is that why Trunks sometimes has trouble in school? He tells me about stuff that happens sometimes—once, he got in trouble for beating up a kid, even though he barely even _punched_ him…"

"Yeah, because humans aren't _nearly_ as powerful as us; it's why you don't go to school yet, not until I can teach you how to control your power, and why I just started school recently. Some humans just…aren't ready to find out about us yet."

"But I think Videl is! I mean, she saw you fly when you were the Great Saiyaman, so why can't she know that we're half-alien too?" Goten asked.

Gohan pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's a bit more complicated than that, Goten," he tried to explain. It wasn't as if he could just waltz right up to Videl and say: _"Hey, Videl! So, I think that you should know that my father is really an alien who has super powers, such as the ability to shoot balls of energy from his hands and gives me immense strength, and we're able to transform into an even MORE powerful states which causes our hair to turn blond and our eyes turquoise. While we're at it, I think you should know that _I_ was the one who really beat Cell, that I was the Delivery Boy. Oh, and I think you should also know that, when my dad was originally sent to Earth, that he was meant to destroy it, and if it weren't for a bump to the head that made him forget everything, we would all be dead because he was able to destroy this planet easily as a baby. Goten and I inherited his power. So yeah. No biggie."_

Yeah, like _that_ would ever happen.

"Well, _I_ think that we could tell her," Goten pouted, looking down at the grass as he crossed his arms. "I think that she's _cool_!"

At hearing his little brother use that term that he rarely used, Gohan raised a black eyebrow at the kid. "'Cool'?" he repeated.

Goten nodded eagerly. "Yeah! That's what Trunks says, anyway, when he thinks that someone's OK. They're cool!"

Gohan had a good guess that it was the reason that the little boy was using that term. He usually never said someone was 'cool', but, since he was hanging out with Trunks, sometimes he'd pick up his habits unconsciously. Trunks called people 'cool' because it deemed _him_ 'cool', and was sometimes something that the lavender-haired boy's mother said.

"Well, even though Videl may be 'cool', as you put it," Gohan said, putting air-quotes as he said the word, smiling a bit at the effect that the little lavender-haired boy was having on his little brother, "I still think that we should wait a little while before we tell her. She might freak out, and we don't want her freaking out, now do we?"

"Well…no, I guess we don't," Goten reluctantly admitted, playing with the grass absentmindedly. "But I still don't get why she would freak out. I mean, Mommy's a human, and so's Auntie Bulma, and Krillin and Yamcha and Tien…"

"Goten, would you consider _any_ of them 'ordinary' humans?" Gohan asked.

"Well…" Goten trailed off as he thought about it. Tien used to be an assassin, and he had three eyes to boot, and always hung around Chiaotzu. Yamcha was a former desert bandit who was terrified of women, and was not a pro baseball player, and always had Puar with him, and the floating cat was just about his best friend. Krillin used to be a monk, but was currently married to an Android, and, from what he heard, was Daddy's best friend. Mommy was married to Daddy, and was also the Ox Princess, daughter of his Grandpa, the Ox King, and was still a strong woman and a fighter. And Auntie Bulma was married to Uncle Vegeta, and she was a multibillionaire, heiress to the largest company in the world, and was probably the smartest human being on the planet.

"I guess they're all a bit different than what other kids think 'ordinary' is," Goten finally agreed with his older brother.

"And Videl isn't used to any of the stuff that they were all used to," Gohan continued, looking at his little brother. "I think I _will_ tell her, Goten—just not _now_."

"Well…OK, as long as you tell her, so that we won't have to keep hiding. It's boring not being able to train seriously with you until she leaves!" Goten pouted

"You don't have to worry about that for too much longer," Gohan said, grinning at his little brother, his earlier light irritation leaving him in an instant. He could never stay annoyed at Goten for long. "As soon as Videl finishes learning how to fly, I'll dedicate most of my training time to help you, OK?"

"Yeah!" Goten agreed eagerly, his earlier pouts forgotten as he grinned brightly, launching up as he tacked his older brother in a hug. Gohan laughed as he was knocked backwards by Goten's force, not expecting it, and the little boy wrapped his smaller arms around Gohan's thick neck. The teenager grinned as he returned Goten's embrace for a few seconds, before the younger boy pulled back, smiling brightly at his big brother.

"I love you, Gohan," Goten told his brother truthfully, leaning in for another quick hug around his neck.

"Love you, too, squirt," Gohan replied with a grin. They both told each other that they loved each other at least once a day—Goten was such a sweet and caring boy that he honestly would tell his brother and mother that he loved them whenever he felt like it, feeling no shame at all, and Gohan would always reply truthfully and affectionately. He wanted Goten to know that he would always protect him, that the little boy was never alone as long as he was around, that he was always safe with Gohan.

"Hey," Gohan said as he grinned at the little boy. Hearing the slight eagerness in his big brother's voice, Goten looked up at Gohan's shining obsidian gaze. "How about I teach you a kata that Mister Piccolo taught me?"

Goten's eyes lit up with pure excitement. "YEAH!" he shouted eagerly, levitating off of the ground in his eagerness. Gohan hadn't taught him that many katas, and most of them were what his father had taught him. He couldn't wait to learn one that had been taught to Gohan by Mr. Piccolo!

After Gohan had taught Goten about twelve steps of the kata, Videl's voice suddenly sounded from where she was practicing her flying.

"Hey, Gohan! Check this out!" she called, her voice sounding eager.

Goten pouted. "Awh, but I won't be able to finish learning the kata!" he whined.

"Hey, I'll finish teaching it to you after she leaves, OK?" Gohan promised, grinning down at the little boy as he ruffled the black haphazard spikes that made up Goten's hair, a carbon copy of his father's hairstyle. "While I check on Videl, why don't you work on perfecting the moves?"

Goten had laughed as his brother messed up his hair even more, and was grinning now after what Gohan had told him. "OK, I will!" he replied eagerly, and began to do just that as he began to practice in the forest.

Gohan smiled, shaking his head slightly. What he _wouldn't_ do for his little brother, he honestly had no idea. He would do anything and everything if Goten wished, just to see that little boy grin happily.

Seeing that Goten was doing fine on his own, Gohan went over to where Videl had been training herself. She was standing, her hands clenched into fists at her sides and sweat running down her forehead, but her blue eyes were alight with determination and pride.

"What is it, Videl?" Gohan asked her, casting one last glance at the cluster of trees where Goten was training as he ran a hand through his black hair, before turning back to his pupil.

"Watch _this_!" Videl told him, and, right after she spoke, she shot up into the sky. Gohan's eyes widened—he was thoroughly impressed with the work that she'd accomplished today. She had gotten up into the air relatively fast, considering that she had just learned about the mere existence of ki a few days ago. She was currently floating about thirty feet in the air, which was just about as high as she could go for now. She then began to do a small series of turns, weaves, and small zigzags in the air, moving left and right at a rather fair pace. Eventually, she seemed done, and landed on the ground, panting as she looked up at Gohan with pride easily showing brightly in her eyes.

"Wow, Videl!" Gohan said in surprise, his eyes wide. "That was really good! You've improved a lot since this morning!"

"Thanks," she said proudly, flashing him a smug grin. "But the _bad_ thing is that, after I do that, I'm completely done." She said this through pants of breath as she held her knees, leaning over a bit.

"But, still, that's really good!" Gohan grinned at her. "All you need to work on is your speed a bit, to get you a bit faster, and your endurance. But besides that, you've got the hang of controlling your ki to fly!"

"You really think so?" Videl asked, looking up at him.

"Yeah! You learn things pretty quickly, and I'm sure that you'll completely get the hang of flying in no time," he praised her, obvious pride for his pupil in his voice.

Videl quirked another grin at him, before she sat down on the grass to help herself catch her breath. He followed her lead, sitting with his elbows resting on his slightly bent knees, while she sat with her legs splayed out in front of her, her hands planted firmly behind her as she supported her weight on her arms. Both of them were content to sit in companionable silence, before Videl looked at Gohan closely.

"Gohan?" she asked, looking away a bit.

"Hm?" he replied, turning towards her.

"Would you…could you tell me about what your father was like?" she ventured timidly, finally bringing her eyes to meet his obsidian ones as she shifted her position, now sitting cross-legged on the grass and her elbows resting on her thighs. He was surprised, that was for sure, but she didn't see any refusal within his eyes. It was now his turn to look away from her, averting his gaze. Then, he began to talk quietly.

"My dad…well, he was a good guy," Gohan murmured softly, his voice so quiet that Videl had to strain slightly to hear it. "He loved nature so much…he looked exactly like Goten—my little brother is a perfect carbon copy of our dad." He grinned the slightest bit at that, before his gaze turned slightly sad once more. "He never did anything wrong, always looking out for the wellbeing of others and also the animals, and was pretty easy to get along with. He always gave people second chances, even though some others wouldn't believe that they deserved mercy." In fact, two of Gohan's teachers and friends were both former enemies who had wanted to destroy the world—Piccolo, the Demon King, who had eventually been converted by both Goku and Gohan; and Vegeta, who came to get the Dragon Balls and nearly killed almost everyone that went up against him. Because of Goku's mercy on both of their parts, they became good people—even when Krillin tried to kill Vegeta after his first defeat on Earth after the deaths of Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu, Goku had told him to let him go. Now, the originally bloodthirsty Saiyan had a family who he cared for and was living peacefully on Earth.

"He was kind, compassionate, and protected us. He was the one who first taught me martial arts. He was almost like…like our guardian angel," the half-Saiyan teenager said with a small smile, remember that he had said those exact same words to Goten when he'd asked what his father was like. Gohan then let out another sigh—dear Kami, he felt like he was an old man with all of the sighing that he was doing. "I miss him," he said softly, looking away.

Videl didn't say anything, but she gently placed her hand on his slightly slumped shoulder, looking at him. His onyx eyes, which were full of sadness and longing, looked deep into her sapphire ones, which were full of compassion.

"I'm sorry that you had to lose him; it's obvious that you loved your dad a lot," she told him honestly.

"I'm all right…it's just, sometimes, I wish that he was here, because I feel so…confused, and lost…" Gohan trailed off, looking away once more, his eyes getting lost in another time. He then forcibly shook his head, shaking away the cobwebs of the thoughts that had been beginning to form, and let out yet another sigh as he looked into the distance. Clouds were gathering, suggesting but not exactly promising rain. "I wish he was here," he murmured, as if that wish could be granted through the Dragon Balls. However, since his father didn't want to come back, believing that he had been causing all of the trouble to happen on Earth, the Dragon Balls were unable to make that wish come true. He knew that his father was going to come back on the day of the tournament…but still, that was only for one day! After that, he wouldn't be able to see his father again until _he_ died.

In a sign of comfort and companionship, Videl lightly squeezed his shoulder sympathetically, her silent way of telling him that he wasn't alone, before pulling it back and resting her elbow on her crossed knee, supporting the side of her face in her palm, as she played with the grass with her other hand. God, she really _had_ grown soft in the past couple of days spent with him, and she had no idea why.

And then it suddenly hit her.

Gohan Son had been one of the first and only people to see her as something more than Hercule Satan's daughter. He saw her as Videl Satan, a strong girl in her own right, not because of what her father may have passed down to her. He wasn't hanging out with her for fame, to say that he was acquainted with the daughter of the World Savior…he did it because of _who_ she was.

"Hey, Gohan…" Videl said softly after a few minutes of companionable silence as she looked up at him again. He turned his gaze to her once more, raising an eyebrow in silent inquiry of what she wanted to say now.

"…Thanks," she told him honestly.

When she didn't clarify on what she was thanking Gohan for, he said, "OK…for, uh, teaching you how to fly?" he ventured.

"Well, yeah, but…" She trailed off, unsure about how exactly she was going to word this. "Well, thanks for trusting me with some stuff, like telling me about your dad."

"It's nothing," Gohan said offhandedly, shrugging a bit. It really wasn't that big a deal.

"And…well…" Gohan turned back towards her when he realized that she had more to say. Videl took a deep breath, before finding the right words. "Thank you for treating me like…well, _me_."

"What?" he asked, confused.

"You don't treat me like I'm Hercule Satan's daughter. You treat me like…like I'm Videl. Like I'm _me_, not the daughter of the 'mighty World Champion' and the 'slayer of Cell' and all that crap. Just for _who_ I am." She looked down at the ground. "Not many people do that. They look at me, and all they can see is that I'm the daughter of the World Champ, always living in his shadow. But…you didn't treat me like that." She brought her gaze back up to him now, and was smiling the slightest bit at him. "You're one of the first and only people not to want to befriend me just for fame and recognition and stuff…it's nice to know that you became friends with me _not_ because of the fact that I am Mister Satan's daughter, but because of the fact that I'm _me_. And, well…" Videl was suddenly growing slightly self-conscious, but she had to finish. "Thanks for being a real friend, you know? You're one of the only people to ever be a true friend to me, and it means a lot."

The teenaged boy slightly fumbled for words, not having expected that. He thought that Videl was thanking him for teaching her, and for encouraging her, _not_ for…all that stuff that she'd just said. He looked over at her to see that she was blushing lightly, her cheeks a bit red, but she bravely met his gaze.

"Well, you're welcome," he smiled lightly in reply, flashing her the classic Son grin. "It's no problem."

This caused Videl to smile back, at the way that he seemed to genuinely care about her, just to be her friend. "You know…I never met anyone like you, Gohan Son," she said with a small grin, admitting what she'd noticed aloud to him. "You're different than everyone else…and in a good way, too."

OK, Gohan had to admit, he was _really_ confused now. "What?" he repeated his question from before.

Videl couldn't help but laugh lightly. "Well, I thought that you were nothing but a nerdy mountain boy the first time that I saw you…that you probably had no social life and that you might be a bit stuck-up since you knew so much…but you're the opposite. You're pretty nice—hell, I'd say you're kinda _sweet_, with the way you interact with Goten and stuff, and you treat people like true friends. And, you know, you're kinda cute."

At that, Gohan's cheeks darkened the slightest bit at her comment, while she grinned at him. She hadn't felt this completely confident for a while, being confident in _herself_—yes, she was confident, but it was mostly about her fighting ability. Not in her own personality, in her own self…it was hard to explain, but she knew that she suddenly felt very confident in that moment as she spoke things to Gohan that she never thought would leave her mouth. And she didn't regret it, either.

"Um…thanks, Videl, I guess…" Gohan trailed off, feeling slightly awkward. Videl had never acted this way around him before! What had suddenly gotten into her…and when had she suddenly thought of him as 'cute'?

The awkwardness that Gohan was feeling was easily broken when his mother was hollering for them to come to the house for a late lunch. His ravenous Saiyan appetite getting the better of him, the moment that he heard those words, he instantly leapt up from the ground, jumping to his feet in an eagerness that rivaled a kid who had been locked in a candy store for the night. Then, almost as if it was an afterthought, he turned to Videl, slightly hesitant at the gesture that he was about to do.

"Hey…you need any help?" he asked, unknowingly repeating the same exact words that he had said just five days ago to her, as he extended his hand towards her in a physical offer to help him up.

Of course, Videl's first reaction to that would be to snap an insult back at whoever offered that, shouting in their faces about how they thought that she was unable to take care of herself when she was perfectly capable of doing so, thank you very _much_, and then stomp away from them angrily. However, Gohan wasn't just anyone, and she realized that he didn't do this because he thought she was weak. He had even admitted that he thought that she was strong. Maybe she was just feeling really, really good about how much she'd been able to accomplish today, and the praise that Gohan had given her as well, but she was in a significantly good mood today.

So, when she saw Gohan's hand outstretched in an offer to help her up, she allowed a light smile to grace her lips, before she took his hand.

Gohan's eyes widened a bit, having expected the same results that she had given him the last time he had offered to help her up. However, he didn't comment, and grinned back at her as he easily hefted her up with his left arm, her right hand in his left one.

"Let's go see what your mom made for lunch," Videl told him, grinning.

"Yeah," Gohan replied. However, they didn't make a move for a few moments, before both of them suddenly realized at the exact same moment that they were still holding hands. Both of them let go at the same time, slight crimson blushes forming on their cheeks, before Videl went in front of Gohan, going inside of the house while he followed after her.

The half-Saiyan was truly surprised at the way that Videl had acted today. Maybe what had happened yesterday changed both of them for the better in their attitudes for each other…or maybe she just was feeling odd today. He was so confused, especially with the brashness that Videl had spoken to him, outwardly telling him that he was 'kinda cute.' He doubted that she told _anyone_ that.

He shook his head, his brain beginning to hurt from trying to puzzle the black-haired, sapphire-eyed girl out.

Females were completely impossible to understand.

* * *

Chi-Chi watched with a smile on her face as Gohan was speaking to Videl, showing her how to increase her flying speed. She was watching him intently, her blue eyes seriously taking in every move that he did, nodding to if he ever told her anything. It was the seventh since he'd begun to train her, and she'd noticed a few changes in the Satan girl and in her own boy as well. Changes that, she hoped, would eventually lead to marriage, she thought with another wry smile. The two made a _very_ cute couple, and they didn't even know it!

"Mommy?" Goten asked, absentmindedly eating the snack that she had given him that looked like a rather large meal for an extremely obese person but was merely a snack for the little half-Saiyan boy.

"Yes, honey?" Chi-Chi replied, turning towards her little boy.

"Can I go to Trunks' house today?" he asked, eating another dumpling that she had given him, the special ones that she only made for her boys.

"Well, I'll have to call Auntie Bulma first…but, if she doesn't mind, then sure!" Chi-Chi replied. Trunks had been grounded for something that he'd done, which meant that he hadn't been allowed to actually play with Goten. However, Bulma had been generous enough to let him use the phone to call Goten, but the limit was ten minutes, which was how Goten had found out about Vegeta being irritated with Gohan for waking him up early; the little boy's punishment ended today. It would be good for her son to spend some time around Trunks, so that Gohan and Videl had more…_privacy_. She thought that last part with a wicked smirk, but hid it from Goten. She then went over to the phone, dialing Bulma's cell phone number.

After two rings, Bulma picked up the phone, and nearly shouted, "_What_ the _hell_ do you _want_ from me?"

"Um…Bulma, it's me, Chi," Chi-Chi stated, slightly confused.

"Oh, hey, Chi. Sorry about that, but it's just these damn solicitors, calling every single damn phone in Capsule Corp., and they absolutely _refuse_ to stop _calling_," Bulma explained peevishly to her friend, rolling her eyes even though Chi-Chi couldn't see it. The raven-haired woman didn't need to see it, though, because she knew that the blue-haired genius was doing it by the tone of her voice. "They've been bugging me for the past _hour_, and Vegeta's already destroyed two of the phones that I forgot to make Saiyan-proof."

Chi-Chi laughed a bit. "Yeah, they're annoying, aren't they," she said sympathetically.

"Annoying as hell," Bulma sighed in reply. "Anyways, though, why'd you call me? What's up?"

"Oh, well, I wanted to know if Goten could come over; he wants to see Trunks," Chi-Chi explained, while Goten bounced in his seat excitedly as he listened to the conversation, hearing Bulma's voice clearly speak from the phone.

"Well, sure, he can come over!" Bulma replied with a smile. "Let me just confirm it with Trunks, even though I'm sure that this kid'll be absolutely _ecstatic_ that he's coming over. Give me a moment." Then, she pulled her cell phone away from her ear, and then shouted, "TRUNKS!"

About three seconds later, the lavender-haired boy was obediently in front of his mother, his blue eyes slightly scared and harried. "I didn't do it!" was the first thing out of his mouth. "Dad wanted to do some training that wasn't in the Gravity Room today because it was messed up and I told him that it wasn't a good idea to do it in Grandma's garden but we had already started sparring and we couldn't stop and it was Dad's fault he did it we didn't mean to blow up some of Grandma's flowers and I'm really sorry even though it isn't my fault please don't ground me again—"

"OK, kid, slow down," Bulma said, holding her hand up at an attempt to stop the tirade that had been coming from her son's mouth. "First of all, you weren't in trouble…but I might not say the same thing now." This was said with a stern glare from her blue eyes at Trunks, who was now wearing a slightly sheepish expression on his face.

"It…it wasn't?" he asked, his voice slightly high-pitched, the way that it gets when you accidentally blurt something out that you didn't mean to say.

Bulma placed her hands on her hips. "No, it wasn't, but it seems that I need to have a little talk with you and your father," she told him with a slight sigh. "Well, let's drop it for now—but _don't_ think that you'll get away with whatever you did. I called you over to ask how you'd feel about Goten coming over today. Chi-Chi's on the line and asked me."

"Yeah!" Trunks instantly replied, grinning as he punched his fist in the air.

"All right, I'll tell them. _Don't_ think that you won't be in trouble with whatever you both did, though, mister. I swear, damn Saiyans… Go take a shower and put on a fresh change of clothes—you stink almost as badly as your father does when he trains in five-hundred times gravity."

Trunks, at first, had cringed at what his mom said. At that last sentence, though, he grinned brightly, before running upstairs to his room to do just as his mother had said.

Bulma sighed, placing her phone back on her ear. "Sorry that took so long, Chi," she apologized. "So, that's a yes for today. Gohan's gonna come by and bring him?"

"Yes," Chi-Chi nodded, while Goten leapt in the air for joy as he began to float around the house, zooming around in his eagerness. Instantly, Chi-Chi turned away from the phone and screeched to her son, "GOTEN! NO FLYING IN THE HOUSE!"

"Oops! Sorry, Mommy!" Goten apologized, and instantly sat back down again. However, he was just about bursting with eagerness in his seat.

"All right, I'll be expecting them any moment now," Bulma said. "You know, _we_ should hang out sometime for some quality girl time, huh?"

"I agree," Chi-Chi said with a small grin, "but not today. Soon, though, all right?"

"Yes—I need more estrogen and less testosterone for one day," Bulma said with a sigh, and Chi-Chi laughed a bit at her friend's oddness and sense of humor. "Well, see ya soon, Chi!"

"See you, Bulma," Chi-Chi replied, before she hung up the phone and turned towards her youngest son. "Now, Goten, I know that Auntie Bulma will probably repeat this, but I'm telling you now—I _don't_ want you causing too much trouble there. Listen to Auntie Bulma's rules, all right? And _no_ complaining when Gohan comes by to pick you up, understand?"

"Yes, Mommy," Goten agreed obediently, even though most of what she'd said had gone in one ear and right out the other.

Chi-Chi nodded, and then went over to the door, before she called for her firstborn child. "GOHAN!"

Gohan had been talking to Videl, telling her how to still be able to control her ki even though she would be flying fast, and how to conserve her energy so that she wasn't as exhausted after flight. She had been listening intently, but he was then interrupted by his mother's voice screeching his name out. Knowing better than to ignore his mother, he quickly excused himself, running over to where the raven-haired woman was waiting.

As Gohan talked to his mother, Videl waited, mulling over the events of the past few days in her head. It was hard to believe that, a little over a week ago, she hadn't believed that such things like ki existed. Then, she had met Gohan, who had been very…well, odd. He had a freaking super hero alter ego, and he could _fly_, for crying out loud! And yet, even though he could do all of that, he was…sweet. He wasn't vain, or conceited, and really cared for both his mother and little brother. And he was one of the only people who didn't seem to care about someone's social status. He became people's friends for _who_ they were on the inside, not so that he could possibly receive fame and fortune. Videl remembered that he said that he knew Bulma Briefs, but he didn't seem to make a big deal out of it, not proudly proclaiming it to everyone he knew that Bulma Briefs was a close family friend of him.

It was a nice change from most of the people that Videl knew.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Gohan, who came over to her with Goten eagerly sitting on his older brother's shoulders.

"Hey, Videl, I have to leave for a little bit," Gohan told her, holding onto Goten's ankles while the little boy held onto the sides of his face, resting his chin in Gohan's black hair. "I have to bring Goten over to a friend's house; they just scheduled a play date, so I have to bring him over there. I won't be too long—I should be back in…two hours, give or take?"

"Two _hours_?" Videl asked, looking at Gohan with shock. "_Where_ are you _going_?"

"We're gonna see Trunks and Auntie Bulma and Uncle Vegeta!" Goten replied eagerly as he leaned over the teenager's head, grinning brightly at the young woman, not noticing Gohan slightly wincing.

"And, uh…sometimes, they wanna talk with me, so I'm not sure how much longer it's gonna take than if I just drop him off there without any talking," Gohan admitted, leaving out the fact that he might also be delayed by a grumpy Saiyan prince demanding a "quick" one hour spar with him. He decided to stick with the excuse that the heiress of Capsule Corporation enjoyed to talk to people quite a bit, which was actually true. "Because Bulma almost _always_ wants to talk with me when I visit. It won't be that long. Really," Gohan added as he saw the look that Videl gave him as she arched one eyebrow in disbelief. "While I'm gone, why don't you practice flying a bit faster, or not using so much of your energy? I'll be back as soon as I can, OK?"

Biting the inside of her cheek, Videl condescended with a nod, while Gohan flashed her a grin.

"All right. Be back before you know it!" Gohan told her as he began to levitate himself in the air.

"Gohan, can you go really, really fast?" Goten asked his older brother eagerly. "Please please please please _pleeeeeeease_?"

The half-Saiyan teenager grinned at his little brother now, gripping the little boy's ankles a bit more. "All right, but you've got to hold on tight, all right?" he told Goten. In reply, the little boy moved his hands up to Gohan's hair, grabbing two tight fistfuls of his black locks as he smiled with glee. Making sure that Goten was secure, after a few moments, Gohan suddenly blasted away as he began to soar to Capsule Corp. Goten let out happy peals of laughter as Gohan sped them away to their friend's house.

Videl watched them leave until the almost indiscernible speck that was Gohan faded away into the sky. It was then that she let out a slight sigh, shaking her head as she began to practice was Gohan had told her.

That kid was full of surprises, she mused. He was definitely different than any other guy that she'd met.

_Why are you thinking about Gohan so much?_ Videl suddenly asked herself sternly, shaking her head. _You should be practicing your flying, not thinking about how Gohan is so nice to his little brother and how much of a sweetheart he is and how surprisingly kissable his lips seem—_

_Ack! Stop that, girl, stop it RIGHT THERE. Where the hell are you GETTING this?_ Videl shouted at herself. Oh, yeah, she knew that she was now arguing with herself. Anyone that would point that out to her would get a punch in the face right about now.

She did _not_ think that Gohan was _cute_. And she knew that she was lying to herself, because she remembered that, just the day before, that she had blatantly told him that he was "kinda cute". What had gotten _into_ her yesterday?

Well, there was no taking her words back, was there? And, hey, she wasn't the only one who noticed Gohan's good looks. The first day that he had come into their school, Erasa had squealed eagerly to Videl that the new guy was "such a cutie".

_Stop. Thinking. About. Gohan,_ Videl snapped to herself, and completely immersed herself in the practice of flying, making sure to exert herself so that she couldn't possibly think about the nerd-in-question that she suddenly began to notice was cute.

An hour and a half flew by quickly when she was furiously focusing on _flying_. Before she even really knew it, Gohan was back, landing in front of her and barely making a sound as he landed on the grass. Videl, rather pleased with the progress that she'd made, floated back down to the ground as well as he walked up to her, seeming slightly out of breath.

"Hey, you OK?" Videl asked him, noticing that he seemed to be favoring his left side.

Gohan lightly winced, exhaling a bit sharply, but he nodded, lightly clenching his teeth together in pain. Crap, Vegeta had been absolutely _brutal_ in the spar—probably wanted to show off to Trunks just how much stronger his father was than the defeater of Cell, Gohan thought with an internal roll of his eyes. As such, he had a badly wrenched shoulder from it being turned in a direction Gohan thought was _impossible_ for it to go unless it broke, which it hadn't, miraculously. Thankfully, however, no bones were broken, and the cuts had already stopped bleeding, and the bruising wasn't that bad, honestly. Gohan promised himself that, next time, he would somehow find a way to wiggle himself out of sparring with Vegeta.

The young human woman wasn't exactly buying it, but it seemed as if Gohan was fine. So, she let it slide for now.

"So, did you work on your flying while I was gone?" he asked, absentmindedly rolling his shoulder to somehow ease the pain and tension of his pulled muscle, lightly rubbing his sore left shoulder with his right hand.

"Yep," Videl told him proudly, a slightly smug smile on her face. "Check _this_ out!"

Once she said that, she launched herself into the air even faster than she had the day before, and performed a series of acrobatic flips and whirls in the air. She had to slow down a bit, of course, but she was able to fly faster than she had yesterday, and with slightly more control over her movements. She then landed back on the ground, rather out of breath, but not nearly as much as she usually felt after she flew that much, only slightly panting, able to grin smugly at him as he looked at her with shock on his face.

"Wow, Videl, that's even better than yesterday!" Gohan complimented her, nodding at her with a grin, before slightly wincing again at the pain that was in his shoulder and now had moved to his back, his sore muscles screaming in protest from even the lightest move. When he'd confronted Vegeta two days ago about the nightmares, it hadn't been nearly as bad as this, because it had been rather early in the morning and had only been both of them. Maybe the Saiyan prince wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he _definitely_ liked to show off whenever possible, and, since Gohan and Vegeta had an audience that day that consisted of Trunks and Goten, the Saiyan prince had been merciless. Of course, Gohan had returned the favor—he had a feeling that Bulma wouldn't be too happy when she found out about the rather bad cramp that he had given Vegeta in his leg, causing him to limp a bit and shoot Gohan dirty looks after the spar had been over, and Gohan had returned the favor.

"Thanks—I remembered what you'd told me, see?" Videl told him with a light grin.

"You've just about perfected flying," Gohan told her honestly. "Maybe two or three days more will be enough for you—one day would be used as a test run to see how far you can fly. You've done enough work today, though. You can go home if you want." In all honesty, Gohan just wanted to somehow mend his shoulder—maybe he could pop by at Kami's Lookout (well, Dende's now, he guessed) and ask Dende to heal him, even though he wasn't sure that the Namekian was allowed to use his healing powers on such a minor injury…or he could go see Korin and see if he would give him half a Senzu bean. All he knew was that his shoulder _hurt_ like _crazy_—he wasn't even able to reach the spot to massage it, prompting him to slightly grimace some more.

"Hey, are you sure you're all right?" Videl asked, placing her hands on her hips. "And don't say that nothing's wrong—you look like you're in pain. What happened?"

"Um…well, I kinda got into a little fight with someone over there…" Gohan admitted, not exactly mentioning _who_ had given it to him. "And, uh…let's just say that this person doesn't like to pull punches…"

"A fight?" Videl repeated, looking at him oddly. "But you're not the type to pick a fight with someone."

"Yeah, I know," Gohan responded, nodding fervently. "I _didn't_ want to fight. But…um…I was kinda forced into it." Vegeta had just about dragged him away from the videogames that he had absentmindedly begun to play with Trunks and Goten (they had been playing Tennis on Wii Sports, and, as Bulma had looked over at the force with which the half-Saiyans were swinging the remotes, and the pure speed used in their movements, she had been more than glad that she'd had the sanity to design 'Saiyan-proof' remotes that could actually pick up their movements) and demanded a spar with him immediately. And saying "no" to the Saiyan prince was something that very few people accomplished—Bulma was one of the brave souls who dared to defy him sometimes. But Gohan…he couldn't exactly refuse what Vegeta had told him.

"Well, how bad is it?" Videl demanded to know, her gaze now becoming scrutinizing as she looked him over with her blue eyes, looking more closely than she had before at him. She saw the faint bruises that were beginning to form on his pale skin, and there was the fact that he _definitely_ seemed to be favoring his left arm. He had been holding his shoulder, trying to rub it.

"Not too bad—just got a few cuts and bruises, but I messed up my shoulder, and now my back's acting up," Gohan confessed, as he tried to rub his sore muscle some more. "It's pretty sore, and it hurts a bit, and I can't really reach it."

The young woman then got a thoughtful look on her face, grinning a bit at the other teenager. "Hey, maybe I can help. You want me to give you a massage?"

"What?" Gohan asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"You know, a _massage_," Videl said, stressing the word out as if he was stupid. "It's when—"

"I _know_ what a massage _is_," Gohan interrupted her, shaking his head. "But how will that help me?"

"Sit down, and I'll show you the wonders that a good massage can do to you," she grinned, gesturing towards him. "Well, go on."

Cautiously, Gohan sat down. She was acting weird again, like she had yesterday, and he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that she was acting the slightest bit odd. He felt her ki move, and she was right behind him as she sat behind him, both of them cross-legged. She brought her hands up to his broad shoulders, and he tensed slightly.

"All right, now, all you have to do is relax, and let the massage work its magic," Videl smiled, as she began the massage. When she'd had sleepovers with Erasa, they had both pampered each other with manicures, pedicures, and all that other girly stuff. Massages were included, and she had also gotten herself massaged a couple of times and had learned how to give good massages. Sometimes, she gave her dad a little massage when he pulled a muscle from doing something not so smart in his gym. Needless to say, she had experience in the art of massaging, and couldn't wait to see Gohan's reaction.

Gohan relaxed, just as she told him to, and felt his muscles slowly lose their tension in them as Videl began to gently massage his back, causing him to close his eyes as he allowed her fingers to massage his back. Surprisingly, it felt rather good, and he found himself unconsciously leaning back as she continued to rub his back. She began to knead the muscle that was sore, in the exact right spot.

"That's _perfect_," Gohan mumbled out, making Videl snicker internally as she continued to rub the spot that it seemed to have been bothering him. "Right _there_." It was then that he began to lightly and unconsciously make a sound that resembled something like a purr, causing Videl's eyes to widen, as she looked closely at the back of his head, before turning her head a bit to see his expression. His face nearly made her laugh, but she kept it in as she continued to massage him gently but with just enough pressure to feel nice.

His face had been one of pure relaxation. His eyes had been closed, his mouth slightly open, as if he didn't have a care in the world. Those sounds that resembled purrs still rumbled from his throat, and Videl had to force her laughs back down her throat. He was like a big, sleepy, lazy lion right now, she swore. He was rather strong, but right now, he was just about harmless, completely at ease because of her gentle massaging.

"So, what do you think?" Videl asked, continuing to knead the spot, one hand moving across his back to continue to massage the rest of his back, eliciting more gentle purrs from him as he continued to gently lean back unconsciously into her hands, while she smirked knowingly. She couldn't get over the sound of his purring—it was absolutely _adorable_.

"This feels nice," he replied honestly, purring a bit more as her gentle fingers continued to massage him in the perfect spots, easing the soreness and tension in his muscles. _Nice_ was actually an understatement. _Fantastic_ was more of the word to describe it.

"Glad you like it," Videl replied with a knowing grin, bringing her hands up to his neck momentarily and massaging there before going back to the muscles on his back that he'd showed her were a bit sore. When he purred some more in pleasure, Videl couldn't help but laugh. "You freaking _purr_," she finally blurted out, grinning a bit. "You have _no_ idea how freaking _cute_ that is."

Gohan didn't even reply, his chest still rumbling with his gentle purring of contentment, prompting Videl to laugh some more as she shook her head.

Eventually, she finished the gentle massage, with Gohan still leaning back lightly into her hands. When it stopped, Gohan's purring stopped as well; at this, Videl was a bit disappointed—Gohan _purring_ was just so absolutely freaking _cute_—but she didn't actually say that aloud.

The boy turned around, facing her, his face still very relaxed as he gave her a lazy grin. "Thanks for the massage, Videl," he told her. "I fell a heck of a lot better now."

"Hey, it's no problem," Videl said with a grin in reply. "Friends help each other out, even with things like sore muscles."

Gohan smiled back at her, while Videl mulled over the choice of words that she'd chosen.

Huh. In the past few days, she'd already considered Gohan a friend. A true friend. She'd known that he'd considered her a friend, that he'd befriended her before, but she hadn't admitted to herself that she felt the same way, that she considered _him_ one of her close friends.

"So, you've finally admitted to yourself that we're both friends?" Gohan asked her, grinning broadly.

Seeing him grin, Videl couldn't help but smile a bit at him in return as she overcame her initial slight surprise. Then, she nodded.

"Yeah," she replied, smiling truthfully at him. "Yeah, I guess we are."

* * *

"Great job, Videl!" Gohan praised his pupil as Videl landed on the ground, barely even out of breath after flying fast and performing a series of acrobatic flips in the air. "That was a great improvement from yesterday!"

Videl smugly inspected her fingernails. "I know," she replied proudly, her blue eyes full of pride and smugness as she looked at her teacher, smirking at him.

It had been eight days since Videl had first begun to learn how to fly, and, in all honesty, Gohan was very surprised at how easily she'd managed to get the hang of flying and how quickly she had learned how to control it. Of course, she wasn't even _nearly_ as good a flyer as the more experienced people, such as Krillin or Tien, but she was just as fast as Goten, which was what she wanted. Gohan was sure that she could be able to learn how to fly even faster on her own if she wanted to, based on the way that she had been able to just about teach herself for the past three days. All she really needed to learn from him was how to control her ki, which she'd managed to gain a good hold of by the fifth day.

Just now, Videl had gone just as fast as Goten, and had maneuvered in the air with just as much agility as he had done, too. (Of course, Goten could fly much faster than he had when he was showing off in front of Videl the first day that he'd learned how to fly, but Videl didn't know that.) It was very good progress for her, and Gohan was very impressed by the progress that she'd shown.

"I…am awesome," Videl continued smugly, very, very proud of herself.

Gohan laughed, sitting down on the grass. "Isn't that a little…I don't know, _vain_?" he teased.

"It's not vanity if it's the truth," Videl shot back with a grin, also taking a seat on the ground.

The boy laughed again, shaking his head at her, before he lowered his body to the ground, resting on his back so that he was looking up at the sky. His right hand was resting behind his head, his left arm resting next to him on the grass, his palm turned upwards. She mirrored his movements, leaning back as well on the ground next to him, on his left. She leaned more on her right side, however—her back was on the ground, but her left leg was lightly crossed over her right one and leaning a bit towards her right side. Both of her hands rested absentmindedly on her waist, her right one on top of her left one. Both of the teenagers simply looked at the blue, blue sky, watching the clouds pass by them lazily, as a gentle breeze brushed by them softly.

There was silence between them, hearing nothing but the birds chirping and the soft sound of the wind passing over them in a gentle breeze. It made Videl's short black hair gently brush a bit over her pale features, along with the softly swaying grass, looking at the sky through half-lidded eyes. Gohan closed his eyes, his own black hair not tickling his face—the breeze wasn't strong enough to move the thick hair that Saiyans had—as he simply relished in the peace of the moment.

"Hey, Gohan?" Videl suddenly spoke up, not making eye contact with him.

"Yeah?" the half-Saiyan replied, still watching the clouds pass by them gently.

"…Have you ever felt…like you have to live up to other's expectations?" she asked him quietly. "Like, you had to be what other people…_wanted_ you to be, and you weren't even sure what, exactly, _you_ wanted to be. _Who_ you wanted to be. You just…you had to live up to the expectations of others. Has that ever happened to you?"

Gohan gave her a humorless laugh. "Oh, yeah, I know how that feels," he replied morosely. _I guess that kind of happens when you're your planet's only hope at the age of five years old, and you know that if you fail that your planet will be destroyed,_ Gohan thought without a trace of humor as he continued to look at the clouds.

"Being the daughter of the World Champion and all that stuff…everyone expected me to be strong, too. I _had_ to be strong. I _had_ to live up to the World Champ's title, to be an acceptable legacy," Videl murmured, her blue eyes pensive. "It makes me wonder…what if my father _wasn't_ so famous? What if he was a normal guy? Hell, what if _I_ had a normal life, not having a super-famous dude for my dad?" She sighed, shaking her head, realizing how weird she was sounding. "Sorry if I'm making no sense," she told Gohan absentmindedly. "But…"

"Hey, I get it," Gohan told her, turning towards her for a moment and flashing her a quick grin, before he turned his gaze back to the sky. "It's just as if, sometimes, everyone expects you to be what _they_ envision you to be. My mom wanted me to be a scholar, my dad wanted me to be a fighter. I had to live up to _both_ of those expectations. It's one of the reasons why I miraculously understand calculus," he joked, causing Videl to laugh a bit at him, shaking her head as she looked over at him.

"Yeah, sometimes, it's almost as if…you're not free to make your own choices," she went on, sighing a bit. "And now I'm sounding like a damn philosopher. I have no idea where this is coming from, Gohan."

Gohan laughed. "It's not that weird," he told her, smiling at her. "I've seen _and_ heard weirder than this, trust me."

Videl smiled back at him, before turning back to look at the sky.

"Hey…if you could wish for one thing, what would it be?" Gohan suddenly asked her curiously, turning towards the blue-eyed girl, suddenly wondering what someone like her would do if she had gotten the special privilege to use the Dragon Balls.

"If I had one wish?" Videl repeated, looking into the sky, deep in thought. "Can it be anything that I want?"

"Anything at all," Gohan replied with a small nod.

"Well…if I could wish for _one_ thing…" That was tricky. Videl honestly didn't know what else she would want—she just about had everything that she wanted because her father was so rich. And then, it hit her. Gohan _had_ said that it could be _anything_, right? "You better not tell _anyone_ this, and you _better_ not laugh, all right?"

"My lips are sealed," Gohan promised, crossing one finger over his heart very solemnly, making Videl crack a grin at him.

"Well…I would wish that…that people wouldn't look on the outside to judge a person, or who their parents are, but judge them because of _who_ they are, you know what I mean?" she said in answer to his question. "You know—people not judging me as being only the 'daughter of Hercule Satan', or not judging you to being 'son of Goku Son' and things like that. The people that aren't exactly gifted with good looks but are very nice and kind people—I would wish for people to see _that_ instead of the not-always-appealing outside. Even though I know that such a thing is impossible, but…it's nice to think that people could become like that."

She looked at Gohan, waiting for his reaction, glaring at him slightly with her sapphire eyes, as if daring him to laugh at her.

"Why would I laugh at that? I think that's a great wish," he told her honestly, grinning. "It _would_ be nice not to be judged by appearances—isn't it funny how we have the saying, 'never judge a book by its cover', and yet that's always what people do?"

Videl nodded at him, secretly glad that he hadn't found what she'd said amusing. "All right, now, your turn. What would _you_ wish for?"

"I would wish that my friends and family were always safe from threats," Gohan replied instantly. "So that they won't get hurt, so that I won't lose them. So that…I wouldn't have to lose them…like I lost my father," he confessed quietly, looking up at the sky. "I don't want to lose anyone else. Something happening to Mom or Goten, or Bulma, or one of my friends, like you…I wouldn't be able to bear it. That's why I'd wish that. So that I know that they're safe. I'll protect those that I care about with my life—I'd go through hell and back to keep those that I love safe. So…that's why."

He waited for the slight taunting that was sure to come with his slightly corny explanation, of spewing stuff about how much he loved his family and friends, even though he hadn't been lying in the slightest bit.

He was surprised when Videl didn't retort with teasing, and he suddenly felt her soft hand in his palm. He looked up to see that she'd moved her right hand over to his upturned left one, so that it was resting on top of it, almost as if they were holding hands, and she was looking at him with a small smile.

"I think that's a very sweet wish," she told him. "And it makes total sense. It's not stupid."

Gohan grinned, slightly interlacing their fingers together. They weren't exactly squeezing each other's hands, but their fingers were lightly interlocked with each other. "Thanks for understanding," he told her gratefully.

"Hey, it's nothing," she told him nonchalantly, smiling at him. "I can tell that you love your mom and your little brother a lot. I can also see that you miss your dad, but you don't let that stop you from protecting the rest of the people that you care about. I think that's something to be admired."

The teenaged boy laughed a bit, staring into her mesmerizing dark blue eyes, which were as dark as the sea before a storm as she looked at him with emotions such as compassion, understanding, and slight admiration in her eyes. She returned the favor, looking deep into his dark onyx eyes, the eyes that were such endless pools of darkness that Videl was afraid that, if she wandered too far, that she'd drown in them. They were showing his contentment and his gladness that someone else slightly understood him—even though they both had drastically different conditions of growing up, they both did have quite a few similarities between themselves. They both turned back to look at the sky, content to be lightly holding each other's hands as they looked at the clouds passing by them.

A few minutes later, Gohan suddenly got hit with an idea of what they could do the next day for their training.

"Hey, Videl," Gohan whispered, as if telling her a secret, lightly squeezing her hand. She turned to look at him, averting her gaze from the fluffy white clouds in the sky back to his beautiful obsidian eyes. Wait…had she just called his eyes _beautiful_? She was losing it. She knew it.

"Yeah?" she answered, showing that she'd heard him and also being a prompt for him to tell her what was on his mind.

"I have a great idea of what we can do tomorrow to test your flying skills," Gohan told her with an eager grin, as if he was a little kid that had just heard an interesting secret that he was just bursting to share with someone. "But you need to bring a bathing suit."

"…Wait, _what_?" Videl demanded to know, looking at him sharply.

"You'll understand when we get there," he told her. "If I tell you, then it won't be a surprise, right?"

"I _hate_ surprises," she grumbled under her breath, rolling her eyes to the sky once more.

"I know that you'll like it," Gohan continued to try and persuade her. "C'mon—whaddaya say? It'll be a way to test your flying skills _and_ to actually have some fun. So, you in?"

She turned to look at him again, and seeing the pure eagerness in his black eyes, the excitement and eagerness to do this, like a young child wanting to go out to the park, caused her to sigh in condescension. She didn't like surprises, that was true, but how bad could it be?

"All right," she told him, making him grin at her as he sat up, both of their hands still connected; as such, she sat up as well.

"Great!" he told her with a bright smile. He then stood up completely, hauling her up to her feet easily also. They both then let go of each other's hands, only slightly blushing this time, the redness in their cheeks barely even visible.

"Well, I should go now," Videl told him, realizing that she needed to buy herself a bathing suit. Hell, the last time that she'd gone swimming was last summer, and she had grown a bit since last year, which meant that her old one-piece bathing suit wasn't going to fit her anymore. She needed to go shopping, and she knew just the girl to call when she needed someone to be the eager shopper. She was sure that her best friend would agree to go shopping with her in a little while—all she had to do was call Erasa and check that things were all right with her own father, and she'd be set.

"OK," Gohan replied, smiling, as she popped open the capsule that contained her jet. The day before, she'd realized just how slow it was, since she could fly rather fast in the air, but she had to keep on using it, since her father didn't know about her learning how to fly from Gohan. It would also cause a bit less freaking out if people saw her flying in a hoverjet rather than seeing her flying with absolutely _nothing_ else but herself.

"See you tomorrow, Gohan!" Videl called down from the driver's seat, waving at him a bit.

"OK; bye!" Gohan replied, grinning eagerly. He was glad that Goten had been gone for most of the day—he'd managed to squeeze in another play date with Trunks, and Gohan had to pick him up in about an hour. Because the little boy was gone, he had more time to train Videl without any interruptions from his little brother. Not that he _wanted_ Goten to leave—it was just nice to sometimes not have your younger sibling around all the time while you were trying to train someone else.

The girl smiled at him as she flew the jet away from his home. Yes, she didn't like surprises. But the pure eagerness on his face, the sureness that she was going to like whatever he had planned…

Well, maybe, tomorrow would be the one exception that she didn't mind a surprise.

* * *

**Sorry about the kind of late update, guys. I hope that it suffices! Now, my reasons are this: my family went on vacation, so for a week it was hectic packing, last minute getting the stuff we need, and settling in for a few days where we were staying. However, I now have free time to write, which I have used to update this story! Oh, and another reason I was unable to write was because, most of the time I was using my free time to watch DBZ Abridged. That is the FUNNIEST thing I've ever SEEN. I have learned a few very interesting things from that. Wanna hear? And if you don't, I'm telling you anyway XD**

**1) Krillin CAN NOT shut up when he's scared.**

**2) Chiaotzu is, apparently, a Pokémon.**

**3) Nappa can fly.**

**4) Namekians don't have penises. (I kinda guessed that before, but this cemented it :D)**

**5) Apparently, Super Kami Guru got so fat because he drank all of the water that caused a drought on Namek and blamed it on the albino Namekians.**

**6) Goku found the Muffin Button on Frieza's ship! It exists! YAY! MUFFIN BUTTON! XD**

**That is just a FEW of the things that I learned. Sorry, guys, but that crap is so freaking HILARIOUS that I was unable to do anything but watch them all in sequence and then watch them all over again. That is the funniest thing that I've ever seen—I swear, nothing has made me break down into hysterical laughter as much as that show has. It's amazing.**

**Anyways, enough about that. Thank you all for your support, and I really hope that you enjoyed this chapter! I hope that it makes up for the long wait! And please review! Reviews are what I run on! Thank you for reading! And please, please, please review! XD**


	5. Going for a Swim

**Guys, you have NO idea how long I have wanted to get this chapter out. This idea has literally been in my head for two MONTHS! I think you'll like it! Also, this chapter is an early-birthday present for one awesome, amazing, lovely individual, the one who gave me that last little push to post this story. Happy early birthday, abbieouji! Hope you like this chapter as an early birthday present! XD**

**Also, thanks for the support, guys, it means a lot to me! I hope you guys like this chapter as much as I'll enjoy writing it!**

**Disclaimer: You have no idea how much I wish I owned DBZ. I would make sure that Abridged was sold on DVD. I KNEW that Piccolo was a Yoshi! XD MUFFIN BUTTON! So, I don't own it. So yeah.**

* * *

"Bring a bathing suit," Gohan had said.

Well, that was a _lot_ easier said than done. The first thing she needed to do was get a bathing suit that fit her, which meant shopping, which meant asking her dad if she could go shopping.

When Hercule was asked by his daughter if the wanted to go _shopping_, he was very, very surprised, and became suspicious. His daughter did _not_ enjoy shopping, and he demanded to know what she had to go shopping for. Quickly and easily lying to her dad, she just said that Erasa wanted to take her shopping, and had literally forced her to come with her, and that if she declined her best friend's offer that it would be very, very disappointing for the blonde. After hearing that it was Erasa who wanted to go shopping, and not Videl, Hercule condescended.

After she was given permission, Videl instantly called Erasa. Going to her room, she dialed her best friend's number and then plopped down on her bed, waiting for the other girl to pick up.

Three rings sounded before the bubbly blonde picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Erasa, it's me," Videl replied.

"Oh my gosh, hey, Vi!" Erasa greeted eagerly to her best friend. "Where've you _been_? You haven't come to school, and neither has Gohan!"

"Oh, well, I'm training for the Tournament," Videl answered. "And Gohan…well, I dunno what happened with him." It was a lie, but hey, Videl wasn't _completely_ sure for how much longer he was gonna be out, so it was a sorta-partial-kinda-truth more than a _lie_. "Sorry about not calling you before, I was a bit swamped with stuff."

"It's all right, hun!" Erasa reassured her, and Videl knew that the other girl was grinning on the other line. "So, what's up?"

"'Rase…I need to go shopping," Videl admitted, turning onto her side on the bed as she absentmindedly played with one of her stuffed animals—an absolutely _adorable_ plushy tiger that Erasa had gotten for her for her birthday last year, because she knew that a tiger was one of Videl's favorite animals. The black-haired girl hadn't parted with it since. Seeing the animal, Videl was suddenly reminded of yesterday, when she had given Gohan the massage, and the way that he'd made sounds that sounded like contented purrs as she'd eased the soreness of his muscles. It made her smile a bit.

"Wow, Videl, that may have been the second time that I've ever heard you say those words in all the time that I've known you," Erasa told her bluntly, her voice surprised. "Are you OK?"

"Erasa, I'm fine," Videl replied with an eye-roll. "I just need to go shopping for something, and I need someone else's opinion on clothing. Please, 'Rase?"

"Hey, you know me—I'm _always_ up for some shopping!" the blonde told her eagerly. "Just give me a few minutes to get ready—meet you at your house?"

"Sure," Videl answered as she held the little tiger plush toy, lying back on her back as she looked at her ceiling. "I'll be waiting here for you, OK?"

"All right! See you in a little bit, Vi!" Erasa said in finality, before she hung up.

Videl closed her cell phone, placing it back in her pocket as she rested on her bed. She was all ready to go—unlike Erasa, she didn't exactly have the urge to put makeup on herself if she was just going shopping, and honestly didn't care about what clothes she wore, either. She'd already taken a shower when she'd gotten home and changed into a cleaner set of clothing—her clothes had gotten a little sweaty when she'd been training with Gohan. It was her traditional pair of black shorts and a dark blue T-shirt, and she was perfectly happy with her clothing. However, she knew that Erasa would probably say something about her fashion sense and comment on her clothing, but Videl wouldn't listen. Of the two friends, Erasa was the one who was all into the fashion and whatnot, while she was the fighter.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. Videl jumped out of bed, placing the tiger back down on her only slightly messy bed now since she'd been laying down on it, and went downstairs to greet her friend.

"Dad, it's Erasa," Videl said as went down the stairs, grabbing her wallet, which was on the coffee table of their large living room, where her father was watching TV. He turned towards her as she spoke. "I'm probably gonna grab a bite to eat with Erasa while we're shopping, so I'll be back in three hours, tops, OK?"

"All right, sweetheart. Just be careful," Hercule told his only child, wanting her to be safe. His little girl was just about everything to him, and the thought of anything happening to her was something that he did _not_ want to think about. He knew that she was more than capable of handling herself in a fight, but still, a father had to worry about his daughter.

Videl grinned at him, going over to him. "Daddy, I'll be fine," she told him reassuringly, bending down to kiss his cheek. "I'll be back before you know it, all right?"

"All right, honey. Have fun!" he called as she headed towards the door.

"I will—bye, Dad!" she called back, before she quickly went out of the house. Erasa was standing in front of her cherry-red hovercar, wearing a cute dark green tube top and a pair of light denim shorts. When she saw her best friend coming towards her, she squealed.

"Hey, Vi!" Erasa exclaimed eagerly, and Videl grinned. She and Erasa shared a quick hug, before the blonde girl pulled back, looking at her best friend's outfit. Her eyes widened when she saw Videl's hair.

"Oh my gosh, Videl, you cut your hair!" she said in surprise, touching the significantly shorter black strands. "It looks so _cute_! But why'd you cut it? I thought you liked it long!"

"I just felt like I wanted it cut—it's also getting hotter, and having a lot of hair only makes it worse," Videl replied, only giving her best friend part of the story. Yes, Videl loved Erasa almost like a sister, and they were extremely close, but some things just couldn't be told. Videl hadn't told _anyone_ about her and Gohan training, and Erasa was the gossip queen of the school. Some kids would get the wrong idea about Videl and the new kid, and she didn't want that.

"I think it suits you nicely," Erasa complimented. "Your outfit, on the other hand…Videl, why do you always have to wear _boyish_ clothes?"

"Because they're comfortable," was Videl's answer, the same exact answer that she always gave Erasa when she asked that question.

Erasa sighed—some things would never change with her tomboyish friend. "Whatever you say," she said, grinning, as she went into the car. "Come on."

On the ride to the mall, the girls absentmindedly talked about things that had happened while they were away. One very interesting piece of information hit Videl as Erasa told her a secret.

"You _like_ Sharpener?" Videl repeated, looking at her friend with awe on her face. "As in, _'like'_, like?"

Erasa blushed slightly. "Well, yeah," she replied, slightly bashful. "I mean, he's cute, he's nice to me, he's strong, and he likes showing off in front of me. I think that he might like me back, but I'm not sure. I'm just pretty sure that I like him."

"_Wow_, 'Rase," Videl said in shock. "I didn't think that you'd like him!"

"Don't tell _anyone_, all right, Vi?" Erasa begged her friend.

"Of course I won't tell anyone!" the black-haired girl replied with a slight grin. Even though she wasn't one of those girls who always loved to think of people in couples, she sometimes _did_ find information about crushes interesting, especially if it involved her best friend.

"So, anyways, why did you need to go shopping?" Erasa asked her best friend, as they pulled into the parking lot of West City Mall. She turned off the car, and then turned to her friend.

"Well," Videl began, and she got out of the car. Erasa got out as well, and they began to walk to the store. "I have to get a bathing suit," the black-haired girl admitted, looking away a bit.

"Why?" Erasa wanted to know, looking at Videl oddly.

"Well, I decided that I wanted to go to the beach for myself, and I haven't gotten a bathing suit since last year, and that thing doesn't fit me at _all_ anymore. I need to go and buy a new one," the fighter replied, as they walked into the big mall.

Erasa grabbed Videl's hand. "Well, I know a great store that I'm sure that we'll find cute bathing suit for you!" the blonde said eagerly, and almost dragged the slightly unenthusiastic girl over to one of her favorite stores. Seeing the very girlish designs of clothes there, Videl suddenly was having second thoughts on shopping for a bathing suit, and she was considering just showing up to Gohan's with her normal clothing, saying that she didn't need a damn bathing suit for whatever the hell they were going to do. However, it was too late to back out now.

Erasa dragged Videl to the bathing suit section. "Actually, I need a bathing suit, too," Erasa said, grinning. "Come on, let's look at some of the stuff that they've got here!"

While Erasa began to look at the bikinis, Videl was leaning more towards the one-pieces. However, the blond-haired girl would have none of that, and gave Videl a look when she had begun to look at a simple dark blue one-piece bathing suit.

"Vi, you are _not_ a little girl anymore!" Erasa reprimanded the other girl, lightly smacking her hand. "We are getting you a bikini, and that's final. You're sixteen, girl, and have a pretty sexy body to boot, all right? You should show it off, not hide it!"

At her friend's brashness, Videl's cheeks darkened a little bit. "'Rase," she almost pleaded, "a one-piece is fine."

"Nope, I will _not_ have my best friend wearing a one-piece this year. You are wearing a damned bikini, even if I have to sedate you and get you one myself!" Erasa said determinedly, and Videl knew that arguing with her blonde friend right now would be pointless. The blonde grabbed the black-haired girl's hand and determinedly brought her over to where the two-pieces were, forcing Videl to look through some of them. With a slightly annoyed groan, she began to look through the bikinis and two-pieces, rolling her eyes.

"Oooh, I like this one for myself. What do you think?" Erasa suddenly said, pulling out a pretty sky-blue bikini that perfectly matched the blue hue of her eyes. It also had darker blue polka dots all over it, and on the hips were little bows connected to the thin straps, along with a small dark blue bow in between the breasts. It seemed to plunge rather daringly, and would reveal quite a lot of her body.

"Whatever you think, Erasa," Videl replied absentmindedly, looking at another bathing suit.

The blonde rolled her eyes at her best friend. "C'mon, Videl, I need some more input! You like it or not?"

"All right, fine. I like it," the black-haired girl answered, causing Erasa to grin.

"OK! But I need to see another one, just to see what another one looks like on me," the eager-to-shop girl smiled, leafing through the bikinis. She then turned her head when she saw that Videl had paused, looking at a dark purple two-piece that had slight swirly designs all over it, and covered her modestly.

"Why don't you try that one on?" Erasa prompted, nodding her head towards Videl. The other girl nodded, taking it off of the rack and holding it.

"All right, this one's nice," Erasa said, pulling out another one for herself. It was a pretty, dark forest green that was completely strapless, with a gold hoop in between the breasts and on the hips, connecting the pieces of cloth together. A slightly shimmery lighter green fabric outlined the bathing suit very lightly. Videl had to admit that it was rather pretty.

"Yeah, that one _is_ nice," Videl agreed. Yes, it would look nice on Erasa. However, the fiery-tempered girl would _never_ be seen _dead_ in that bathing suit, but she thought that it suited her best friend nicely.

After a few moments, Erasa gasped. "Oh, Videl, I found the _perfect_ bathing suit for you," she said excitedly, beckoning her friend to come over with her hand, her eyes sparkling with eagerness. Videl went over to her best friend, wanting to inspect the bathing suit that she'd picked out. The moment that she laid eyes on it, she gaped and shook her head.

"No," she told Erasa.

"Yes," the blonde retorted, pulling it off the rack.

"_No,"_ Videl repeated, her voice hard.

"_Yes,"_ Erasa shot back, her blue eyes determined as she shoved the bathing suit at Videl. "And if you say _'no'_ one more time, I will buy this anyway and manage to sneak it into your bags somehow—don't underestimate me, I _will_ find a way."

Videl groaned, shaking her head at her friend. "'Rase, come on, you can't _possibly_ think that I'd look good in something like…like _that_!"

"I don't think you'll look good—I think that you'll look absolutely-freaking-_amazing_," Erasa fought back. "Come on, we're gonna try these on, all right?"

Videl sighed, knowing that there was no arguing with her blonde friend when she had her mind set on something. She followed the other girl to the dressing rooms, where they instantly took stalls next to each other. Videl hung up the one that Erasa had taken for her and glared at it hatefully, before beginning to take the black one off of its hooks.

"Meh…I don't really think this looks that good on me, all things considered," Erasa said from her stall a few seconds later. "Hey, Vi, what do you think?"

Videl opened her door—she hadn't even begun changing yet—and looked at her best friend. Erasa was wearing the sky blue bikini that she'd chosen at first, eyeing herself in the mirror with distaste. "Is my butt really that big?" Erasa muttered to herself, inspecting herself this way and that.

At her friend's slightly self-conscious antics—which were only exhibited in front of the blonde's best friend—Videl actually laughed. "'Rase, there's nothing at all wrong with your body figure," she reassured the other girl. "But I do see what you're saying about the bathing suit—it's not 'Erasa' style."

"It also smushes my boobs weirdly," Erasa admitted in discomfort as she tried to adjust it. "It's almost as if there's a weird type of pushup that doesn't feel comfortable. OK, it's not as cute as I thought it was, this one's got to go."

"Yeah, I think that's for the best," Videl agreed, before Erasa went back inside of her changing room. Videl changed into the purple two-piece that she had seen and rather liked. She didn't look at herself in the mirror yet, and walked outside of the changing room so her friend could see.

"Well, 'Rase? Whaddaya think?" Videl asked, causing Erasa to peep her blonde head out of the changing room, hiding the rest of her body as she looked closely at her friend.

"Mmm…I'm not so sure about that, Vi," she replied. "I mean, yeah, it covers you…but it doesn't exactly flatter your figure, if you get what I mean. It makes you look…well, not that cute. I'm gonna be blatant—it doesn't look right on you and makes you look a bit fat, when you aren't at all. Purple isn't really your color."

"Yeah, I was thinking that as well," Videl said, now looking at herself in the mirror that was outside of the changing rooms. The bathing suit made it appear as if she had extra layers of fat that didn't actually exist. Erasa closed the door of her changing room, and spoke through the door, telling her friend, "We're putting it back, for sure." A few seconds later, after Videl had gone back into her changing room, Erasa let out an excited squeal.

"Oh, yeah, I'm sexy and I know it," Erasa giggled as she quoted the lyrics from the song as she came out of the dressing room, proudly wearing the emerald-green bikini that she'd chosen secondly. "Vi, I am _totally_ getting this."

Videl grinned—after shopping with Erasa, she eventually found that she could slightly bear giving opinions. It was almost as if the blonde's bubbly attitude was infectious. "Yes, that definitely suits you," she agreed, as Erasa inspected herself in the mirror proudly. Almost giddy with glee, she went back to her changing room, probably wanting to buy that bathing suit as quickly as possible as she changed back into her normal clothes. Meanwhile, Videl had been changing into the other bikini that Erasa had gotten for her, not looking at herself in the mirror that was in the changing room. She closed her eyes and opened the door, knocking on Erasa's door, holding her breath.

The blonde girl opened the door, wearing only her bra and panties now as she inspected her friend. It was then that she let out yet another eager squeal.

"Vi, that is the _perfect_ bathing suit! Have you _seen_ yourself in the mirror?" Erasa asked eagerly. Without waiting for Videl's answer, she turned the other reluctant girl to the mirror. Videl was now burning with curiosity, wondering what she looked like.

Her eyes were wide as she looked at herself in the mirror. "…Wow," she finally said in surprise. "I look…"

"Amazing!" Erasa squealed, grabbing Videl's hands happily.

Videl had to admit that she _did_ look quite amazing in this bathing suit. She looked surprisingly…feminine, and didn't mind it right now, actually.

The bikini that she'd chosen had black as its base color, but was swirled greatly with a slight floral design which was colored a dark red, her favorite color. It almost looked like fire, which matched Videl's personality. It was very figure-flattering—it revealed only the smallest bit of cleavage, which was decent enough covering for her, revealing just enough skin to tantalize the imagination. Her toned midsection was shown off, and her long, lightly muscular legs were revealed, seeming even longer now because of the design and cut of the bottom of the bathing suit. Overall, her rather pretty feminine figure was revealed—from her not-too-large-but-not-too-small breasts, to her thin, tapered waist, to the slight swell of her hips, to her long, lean legs.

It was one of the first times in her life that Videl actually thought to herself: _I_ _am_ _pretty_ _damn_ _sexy._

"OK, Vi, we are absolutely getting that for you. You're freaking _gorgeous_!" Erasa exclaimed, having finished putting on her clothes. "Come on, hurry up and change back into your clothes so we can buy these suits!"

Videl was grinning confidently a bit as she went back into her changing room, throwing back on her undergarments before putting her clothes on over it. She grabbed both of the bikinis that she'd brought with her, going over with Erasa to return the ones that they didn't like, before going over to the like to purchase their new bathing suits. The black-haired girl had a knowing grin on her face as they bought their now clothes, leaving the store.

Not that she really _cared_, but…

She couldn't _wait_ to see Gohan's reaction to her bathing suit tomorrow.

* * *

Gohan grinned as he saw Videl's hoverjet descend onto the green grass near his home, excited about what they were going to do that day. He was already wearing his swimming trunks, which were a dark navy blue, and a white T-shirt for now. He waved up at her, and he saw her wave back at him as she landed the jet with ease. When the door opened, she jumped out, landing on the floor—Gohan saw that she was wearing a loose T-shirt as well, along with her shorts.

"So, you ready?" Gohan asked her when she landed on the ground from her jump.

"As I'll ever be," Videl replied, as she encapsulated her jet and placed the small capsule inside of her pocket. Gohan nodded at her, and began to levitate in the air, with her following suit.

"All right, so, all we're gonna do is fly somewhere—stay close to me, OK?" Gohan said once they were at a considerable height in the air.

Videl nodded, and, with that, both she and Gohan began to fly towards wherever they were headed. She moved slightly ahead of him as they flew, causing Gohan to raise his eyebrow. He then sped up a bit to pass her the slightest bit.

Videl passed him a bit again.

A light grin crossed Gohan's face—it was an unspoken challenge, he knew. And it was cemented when he looked at Videl's sparkling blue eyes, shining with the prospect of a challenge in them.

Both of them suddenly began to speed up. Of course, Gohan wasn't going _nearly_ as fast as his top speed, so this was a leisurely flight to him, but he was rather impressed with Videl's speed, and he knew that she wasn't going as fast as she could. To see how fast she could go, he sped up a bit more, passing her. He heard an aggravated grunt from behind him, causing him to turn around to face her and grin at her. Her face was annoyed, and, when he turned around, he felt a sharp gust of wind pass by him. Videl had passed him, smirking triumphantly at him.

"Catch me if you can!" she taunted, before speeding off even more quickly than she had before.

Oh, she was going to wish that she'd never said those words. Wearing a slightly evil smirk, one that was rare for him to have on, Gohan sped up, easily catching up to Videl. She looked at him with widened eyes as he passed her, waving coyly at her, before blasting forward.

"Oh, I'll get you, Gohan Son!" she shouted at him as she tried to catch up. However, that boy just seemed to somehow manage to stay _just_ ahead of her by a few mere inches; whenever it seemed that she had gained on him, he sped up the slightest bit more, making her aggravated. Gohan couldn't help but laugh a little bit at the way that she was struggling to keep up with him, making her clench her teeth a bit as she tried to keep up with him. But he managed to stay _just_ in front of her!

She didn't even notice that they were making a few turns every now and then—she was only focused on the grinning teenaged boy in front of her, determined to catch up with him.

"A little slow today, aren't we, Miss Satan?" Gohan teased her lightly, laughing at the almost infuriated look that came over her face. She was going so fast that she could barely keep her eyes open, but she didn't care. She just _needed_ to beat that boy.

Suddenly, though, Gohan stopped, causing Videl to run into his back from the speed that she'd been using. It felt like running into a brick wall—what the hell was this kid _made_ of?

"What is your _problem_?" Videl asked in irritation as she glared up at Gohan. All he did was turn around with a slightly knowing smile on his face.

"We're here," was all he said, making her raise an eyebrow at him. He began to descend, and she followed suit, landing on the grass. It was then that Videl actually looked at her surroundings. Her eyes widened with surprise.

She was in a little clearing that seemed to be completely untouched by human hands. A small, pretty lake that was surprisingly clean rested inside of the clearing, and reflected the beautiful hue of the afternoon sky; the water was so clear that you could clearly see the small gray pebbles that rested on the bottom of the water. Surrounding the lake in a random scattering were numerous wildflowers of all different colors and varieties, randomly dotting the large grassy expanse that was around the lake. A few trees of different varieties also slightly surrounded the pond—there was a weeping willow, with its long, drooping branches swaying in the light breeze; there was also a tree with small, fragile pink buds, which she guessed was a cherry blossom tree, or something close to that. The wind gently tugged off a few of the small petals and caused them to land on the glassy surface of the lake, causing small ripples to form on the water.

It was…it was…

Absolutely beautiful.

Videl didn't say anything because of her awe as she looked around at her surroundings with wide, surprised eyes. Then, she turned towards Gohan, who had a knowing grin on his face as he looked at her.

"…_Wow_, Gohan," she finally said, the sound coming out in a surprised breath.

"See, I knew that you'd like it," Gohan told her, still grinning at her as she once again took in her milieu with awe.

"How'd you find this?" she asked him in wonder.

"Well, I…I dunno how I found it," he answered truthfully. "I just stumbled upon this one day when I was flying around, and, well, I guess that this became my little spot to escape from everything."

Videl only seemed to be listening halfheartedly, her mouth still slightly open as she took in her beautiful surroundings. Gohan grinned—he'd had the same reaction when he first saw this place, but it eventually registered much quicker than it would be for Videl. He grew up in the mountains; he was kind of used to this. Videl, on the other hand, had grown up in the city, and wasn't exactly used to things like this.

A few seconds later, Videl heard a shout, and she turned her head just in time to get splashed with a little water from the force of Gohan's jump. She saw that his shirt was on the grass, and she could still see the ripples of where he'd disappeared.

"Gee, _thanks_, Gohan!" Videl shouted at him, slightly irked at the fact that her clothes were slightly wet now. Expecting him to resurface, she crossed her arms and looked pointedly at the lake, knowing that she would see his head break through the surface any time now.

However, when a few minutes passed and Gohan _hadn't_ resurfaced, Videl started to feel uneasy. She walked closely to the edge of the small pool of water, leaning over it slightly.

"Gohan?" she called out, knowing that he could hear her if he was underwater. When there was no reply—not even a bubble to say that he was breathing out—she forced herself to stay calm as she reached out her hand to test the temperature of the water before she went in to see what was going on.

It was then that she felt a hand grab onto her wrist, and saw a familiar grinning face, with onyx eyes twinkling mischievously, before he tugged. She let out a surprised shriek as he caused her to fall into the water, getting the full impact of the cold water suddenly.

Videl broke through the surface of the clear water, gasping for air slightly from the shock, shaking her black bangs out of her eyes. "You _asshole_!" she shouted angrily, hearing him laugh behind her. Annoyed, she whipped around to face him, ready to give him a piece of her mind.

However, she forgot was she was going to say for a moment as she looked at him. One thought scattered through her head at that moment:

Adonis? Hercules? All those Greek gods that were supposed to have bodies of perfection?

She doubted that they held _anything_ on Gohan.

The teenaged boy was standing waist-deep in the water, revealing the entirety of his bare torso. His pale skin seemed to be carved out of marble; it seemed as if his body was chiseled out of that pure stone. His black hair was wet, falling lightly into his eyes as he shook his head a bit to clear it, revealing his sparkling onyx eyes that glowed with mischief. Water ran down his strong jaw line, pooling lightly into the hollow of his throat before running down his chest. Strong pectoral muscles rested on his broad chest, which she was suddenly realizing how very broad it was. His rock-hard six pack was revealed as well, along with his lean waist, and his thickly muscled arms seemed to be even more announced since his whole upper half was bare.

She was unable to think coherent thoughts for a moment, just getting over the pure shock about the fact that the supposed nerd boy in her school had such a perfectly sculpted physique.

Once she got over that fact, her annoyance at him took over, and she shoved him square in the chest. However, she was irked to discover that he did not budge an inch, and laughed a bit at her.

"You got my freaking _clothes_ wet," Videl grumbled in irritation. Deciding not to get out of the water, she quickly shimmied out of her shorts and pulled her shirt off, and threw the clothes over on the grass. "Now, I have to wait for them to dry before I put them back on."

"Sorry," Gohan apologized, but his tone didn't sound like he meant it at all. When he saw Videl's bathing suit, his eyes widened the slightest bit as they quickly took in her figure, which suddenly seemed very, very feminine because of the bikini that she was wearing. The first thought that came to his head was, well, shock. Never had he seen Videl look so…well, so much like a _girl_.

Videl caught him staring, and she felt herself blush slightly, but also felt satisfaction at his reaction to what she was wearing.

"I have to admit, Gohan," she finally said as she went a bit deeper into the water, allowing more of her body to get accustomed to the coldness of the liquid, "this is pretty nice."

"I knew that you'd like this surprise," he replied with a knowing grin.

Videl rolled her eyes, and then had an evil smirk on her face as she suddenly splashed him sharply. Gohan, not expecting that, looked over at her with a raised eyebrow as she laughed at him.

When he returned the favor, however, it wasn't that funny anymore to Videl. Very quickly, it became an all-out brawl in a splashing war as the two teenagers chased each other around the lake, trying to escape from each other's splashes.

The girl let out a slightly surprised squeal as she dove underwater to escape the torrent of water that Gohan had splashed her way. She quickly resurfaced for a breath of air after a little less than a minute, and instantly got pelted once more with water. On impulse, she splashed back.

"No _fair_, Gohan!" she told him, splashing in his direction.

"There's _rules_ to this game?" Gohan retorted, laughing as his response gained him another splash from the slightly annoyed girl.

They stopped after a little while so that each of them could just swim a bit around in the lake. As she was treading water, Videl saw a small rock ledge that seemed to be the perfect height for a diving board. She grinned and ran out of the lake, going over to the ledge. Gohan looked at her oddly, wondering where she was going; he then understood when he saw her appear on the ledge, after she had found a way to scramble up on the rocks.

She was grinning widely—she couldn't remember the last time that she'd had this much fun in a pool. And it had been _way_ too long since she'd done an old-fashioned cannonball. She backed up a bit, and then began to run—right as she jumped, she yelled out, "Banzai!", and she landed in the water a few moments later. Gohan got splashed by the water that had come up from the force of her jump, making him laugh. She soon resurfaced, smiling as she shook the hair and water from her eyes, laughing as she treaded water in the deeper part of the lake.

It was yet another unspoken challenge between the two as Gohan climbed out of the water, going over to the ledge as well. He had a running start as well as he jumped off of the edge, before he did a full somersault before hitting the water in a slightly messy dive. After him, Videl quickly scrambled onto the smooth rocky overhang, and then executed a perfect swan dive, barely even making a ripple in the water. When it was Gohan's turn, he did a fancy-looking jump that consisted of doing a cartwheel on the rock and then jumping off of the ledge and twisting about in the air twice before doing yet another somersault and landing in the water in the ending motion.

Videl had to admit that she was a bit impressed—she hadn't _ever_ seen someone with such physical control. It was hard to believe that she'd thought of him as nothing but a scrawny nerd over a week ago, when he was, in reality, very muscular, a fact which he'd somehow hidden under the baggy clothing that he'd worn to school. Determined not to be bested by him, however, she went up once more on the rocky ledge after Gohan had resurfaced.

Gohan watched as she stood with her back facing him, bouncing her knees the slightest bit. Then, she launched herself off of the rock, and attempted to do a backwards somersault in the air. However, she misjudged her jump, and as a result, when she attempted to do a second flip, she saw how close she was to the water and accidentally uncurled a bit, hitting the water face-first.

The boy winced a bit; that _had_ to hurt. He began to go to the shallower part of the lake, so that he could climb out, but it was then that he realized that Videl hadn't resurfaced yet, and it had been over a minute. He remembered in the splashing fight, how she'd only been able to stay under the water less than a minute, and he'd presumed that it was the maximum amount that she could hold her breath.

If she hadn't resurfaced…

"Videl?" Gohan called out, going back into the deeper part of the water, fighting over the panic that started to slowly creep in. Was she trying to hold her breath as long as he had done before? He could hold his breath for a rather long time because of his half-Saiyan genes, but she was only human!

His anxiousness began to cloud his judgment—he tried to feel for her energy signature, but the fear and slight panic that was beginning to come into his system was making him unable to focus, so that he wasn't able to sense her ki. He called her name again, and, when he got no response once more, he frantically examined the water around him, going underwater and looking around. He didn't see her.

Suddenly, he felt a small hand grab his ankle. Completely caught off-guard and surprised, he fell backwards, slipping on the pebbly bottom of the pond. He looked up to see Videl grinning at him triumphantly, brushing her wet hair off to the side.

He began to splutter and cough a bit with his shock, having accidentally swallowed a bit of water. His eyes were widened with his surprise as he looked at Videl's smug face as she began to laugh at him.

"Your reaction was _priceless_!" she grinned at him, before laughing again.

However, Gohan wasn't laughing, looking at her with an indiscernible expression on his face. At his look, Videl stopped her laughing, and asked, "What?"

He shook his head a bit at her, letting out a breath that he hadn't known that he'd been holding before. "Why did you do that?" he asked in return, his voice oddly quiet.

"I was just screwing around, Gohan," Videl told him. "Now you know how _I_ felt before, when you first jumped in. I'm fine, though."

He didn't stop inspecting her with that look in his eye, the look that she couldn't exactly name. "Don't…don't do that again," he finally said, looking intensely at her now. "Please, don't do that again."

Hearing his voice, Videl realized that he'd been _worried_ about her, concern shining in his onyx eyes.

"I was just kidding," she offered lightly. "I wasn't in any danger."

"But I didn't know that," he replied seriously. "I thought that something had happened to you, Videl…" he admitted as he looked away. The panic that had begun to set in before had finally worn off, and now it was just the pure shock and concern for her.

"Hey, I'm OK," she reassured him, her voice a bit gentler now as she smiled a bit at him.

"Please, promise me that you won't do something like that again," Gohan told her seriously. "I…" He what? He couldn't bear it if he lost yet another friend? He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if she died while he was around?

Realizing how serious this was, Videl went over to him and sat down next to him, nodding. "I promise," she vowed quietly. He looked up at her to see if she was telling the truth, and he saw that she was, her blue eyes showing that she was a bit regretful for what she'd done. In her defense, she hadn't known that Gohan would almost freak out! She thought that he'd take it as a joke, like she had with him at first!

After a few moments, Videl grinned a bit as she came up with an idea. "Hey, how about we play Marco Polo?" she suggested to him.

At that, he raised his eyebrow at her, the old Gohan now resurfacing, much to Videl's relief. "Isn't that a bit…I don't know, _juvenile_?" he asked.

"So?" she shot back. "There's no one else here to judge, so…"

"All right," Gohan replied, grinning now at her.

"Not _It_!" Videl shouted the instant that he agreed, and she jumped into the deeper water. "Close your eyes and spin around ten times!"

Gohan laughed, shaking his head at her antics now as he went into the middle of the lake, closing his eyes and spinning around ten times. After he had done so, he called out, "Marco!"

"Polo!" Videl returned, before swimming away as Gohan began to come towards her, looking rather funny with his eyes closed and his arms stretched out in front of him (to make it fair, he told himself that he wouldn't try to find her by her energy signature).

This continued for a few minutes, until Gohan had cornered Videl. She had begun to climb out of the water, grinning, before she let out a small shriek of surprise as Gohan's hand suddenly came out of the water and latched onto her ankle. He smirked a bit as he opened his eyes, announcing to her, "I got you."

Videl huffed, rolling her eyes at him. "Fine," she relented, going back into the slightly deeper water of the pool as she closed her eyes and began to spin around ten times.

A few rounds passed, with the two teens content with playing Marco Polo with each other in the rather large lake. After a quick break for lunch, which Gohan had remembered to bring along with him, they quickly resumed their games once more. It was now Videl's turn to be the one searching for Gohan, and she quickly spun around after shutting her eyes.

"Marco!" she shouted.

"Polo!" Gohan replied, and she turned towards his voice as she blindly held her hands out.

She called it out again, and this time, Gohan's reply came from behind her. Annoyed, she turned around, wondering how the kid managed to travel so fast through the water, as she tried to get him. His voice was so close, but it seemed that he was just out of her reach!

After some time, Videl called out the word again, but this time, she gained no response. Surprised, but resisting the impulse to open her eyes, she called it out again.

"Marco!" she yelled once more. When silence was her only answer once again, she honestly became confused. Gohan had never simply dropped out on one of the games that they'd played! What was going on?

"Marco?" she tried again, this time sounding more like a question. "Gohan?"

Still no reply.

Videl began to walk backwards, turning this way and that as she moved her hands around. "Marco, Gohan! You're supposed to say 'Polo' afterwards! That's kinda the point of the game!" Her tone was dripping with slight sarcasm as she turned her body constantly, reaching out to somehow see if she could get him. Now, some people would open their eyes at this point, but she was determined not to cheat on this game, so she refused to allow her eyelids to open.

"Gohan? Marco, damn it!" she shouted in irritation, backing up even more, nearly tripping over the pebbles.

Suddenly, her back came in contact with something surprisingly hard. Her eyes suddenly flew open on their own accord as she turned around in shock; she had run into the rock-hard, muscular chest of Gohan. Her eyes were wide with her pure surprise as Gohan looked down at her, his dark obsidian eyes meeting her deep blue ones with a startling intensity. Without her knowing, her breathing had lightly sped up.

"Polo," Gohan murmured quietly. Their bodies were so close to touching each other, their gazes never leaving each other's. Her hand, which had been sticking out previously and now had been slightly brought to her chest in surprise, was now resting on his left pectoral. She felt gentle, reassuring warmth on his skin, felt the strong beating of his heartbeat gently under her palm—he was so _warm_.

"I got you; you're _It_," Videl told him, her voice barely even a breath that she had let out. Her brain barely even registered what she had said, mostly registering the teenaged boy in front of her—his pale and surprisingly handsome and yet still slightly boyish features, his thick hair that was slightly plastered to his head, and his eyes that were the color of the purest onyx. Gohan, too, barely knew anything else around him, his eyes only on the girl—the delicate features on her pale face, her short black hair that was framing her face as well, and her large, sparkling dark blue eyes that were currently watching his own eyes intently.

He noticed a stray strand of her black hair that had fallen in front of her eyes, and, gently, he brought his hand up to her face. His hand lightly caressed her cheek as he tucked that strand of black behind her ear, so that now her beautiful blue eyes were completely revealed. His hand remained on her soft skin, like hers was resting on his chest. Their bodies were now lightly touching, the only sound in the place their own breathing, gazes never leaving each other even for a moment.

"I know," Gohan whispered in reply, his voice barely even audible anymore.

Both of them felt an odd emotion begin to stir within them, feeling an odd impulse. It seemed to happen so slowly—Videl slightly inclined her head up while Gohan slightly leaned down at the same time, their faces mere centimeters apart, feeling each other's breathing gently on their faces.

They both moved gently at the same moment, softly and tenderly, as their lips ever-so-gently met in a kiss.

It was pure, innocent, tender, curious—only their lips met each other's, gently, slightly unsure. Their eyes had closed at the same time, with Gohan's hand lightly tilting Videl's head the slightest bit up, her hand remaining on his chest. It was a kiss of pure tenderness, innocence, curiosity, as their lips gently brushed against each other's, both of them beginning to gain confidence as they slightly deepened it, their lips gently moving against each other. Unknown emotions flooded through both of the teens as their lips tenderly touched.

They gently pulled away from each other, their lips hovering over each other's for a few moments longer, mere micro-centimeters away, eyes still closed, before they completely pulled away from each other, slowly opening their eyes. Their breathing had slightly sped up, was slightly deeper as they both looked down, before they looked up and bet each other's eyes. They did nothing but look at each other for a few moments, deep ocean blue meeting polished obsidian.

Suddenly, Videl realized what had just happened, and a fierce, dark blush came over her cheeks as she hastily tried to get away from Gohan. At the exact same moment, he realized what had happened as well, and his own cheeks flushed with crimson as he backed away from Videl as well. Neither of them knew what to say to each other, looking anywhere but each other for the time being.

The silence was finally broken by Videl. "Hey, um…I should probably get going," she told Gohan, quickly meeting his gaze before looking away again, right at this moment unable to think of anything else about that boy except how perfectly sculpted he was with muscle and how surprisingly gentle his lips had been during their kiss (she had been right in her absentminded thoughts a few days before—his lips were _very_ kissable. However, she instantly reprimanded herself when she thought of this). She quickly got out of the lake, getting her clothes, which were now only the slightest bit damp, and quickly throwing them over her wet body.

"Yeah, OK," Gohan replied, still blushing as he shook his head, getting out of the lake as well. Quickly using his ki to dry himself off, he threw on his T-shirt, and turned to see that she had popped open the capsule that contained her jet. She looked slightly uncomfortable in her damp clothes, he noticed.

"Um, hey," he spoke up, causing Videl to turn and look at him, a light blush still present on her cheeks. She stood silent, waiting for him to go on.

"Want me to dry you off? I can use my ki," Gohan offered. She stopped, thinking about it—her dad would get suspicious if her clothes were wet, and would instantly ask her what she had done, and she didn't think that flying home the natural, organic way would do any good to her other than give her a cold. Gohan's offer was for the best, she guessed.

"All right," she relented, making Gohan grin a bit at her as he went over to her. Videl backed up, slightly unsure about what he was going to do, her eyes unsure.

"Hey, I'm not gonna bite," he said as he rolled his eyes a bit, grinning the Son grin at her. However, he, too, understood how she felt. The slight awkwardness between them now was almost tangible in the air, neither of them knowing how to react to what had just transpired between them. "Don't you trust me?" he asked.

Hearing those words, Videl looked up at him completely, and realized that, yes, she did trust him. In response, she walked closer to him and waited for whatever he was going to do.

Gently, Gohan brought his head down to hers, so that their foreheads were gently touching. He took deep breaths, and Videl was suddenly aware of a warm, slightly tingly sensation coming over her body. Her eyes widened a bit, and she looked down to see that the faintest of glows was surrounding both of their bodies, a sheer line of light that was barely even noticeable. She looked back up at Gohan, and saw that his eyes were closed. He breathed in and out deeply, focusing on making sure that his ki was low enough for Videl—if he accidentally brought it too high, he could hurt her.

Eventually, he knew that she was completely dry. He opened his eyes and saw that her big blue ones were looking at him, and he bravely held her gaze. Then, he moved away from her a bit, his unspoken signal that he was done.

"Thanks," Videl said, feeling her clothes, marveling at how dry they actually were. The only thing that she knew how to manipulate her ki for was flying—she had a feeling that she might do something wrong if the tried to somehow control it so that she could perfectly dry herself like Gohan had.

"No problem," Gohan replied offhandedly, grinning as he ran a hand absentmindedly through his thick black hair.

"Hey, about flying lessons…do you think I've got it?" Videl asked.

Gohan paused, thinking, before he answered. "I don't think that there's anything else that I can teach you, honestly. We could wrap things up tomorrow, and you can polish things up by yourself—I can't help you anymore."

So that was it. Ten days—if you included tomorrow—and she had learned how to fly.

For some reason, she didn't exactly feel like jumping for joy. She felt…_disappointed_? But…_why_? She should be absolutely-freaking-ecstatic that she had now been able to manage the art of flying. But…

If she didn't need to learn how to fly anymore, then she wouldn't need to see Gohan for the lessons.

When had she started genuinely liking his company, started actually looking forward to the flying lessons that she had with him? She had no idea, and didn't exactly want to think about it. She was, honestly, too confused right now, what with her conflicting emotions about the gentle, innocent kiss that she had shared with Gohan earlier, the slight disappointment at the fact that she wouldn't see that boy daily anymore, the odd things that she had felt when she had shared that kiss with him (too many things were revolving around that, she noticed), among a few things.

"All right," she replied, nodding, as she went into her jet, deciding that she would figure out all of these things later. "So…see you tomorrow, Gohan," she said in finality, looking down at him before the glass came down.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," he returned, grinning up at her as he waved.

She couldn't help but smile back at him as she returned the wave, lowering the top of her jet as the glass encased her. She then caused the jet to hover for a few moments, before she began to fly the contraption home. She couldn't resist one last glance back at the boy, who was still watching her jet, before he turned away and seemed to agitatedly run his fingers through his hair. Videl turned back around so that she could steer, deciding that she would sort out everything back at her home, where she could have a clear head.

While she was flying away, Gohan was shaking his head, confused at what had transpired between them. The pure fear and panic that he had felt when he thought that Videl might have drowned, the gentleness of the kiss that he wasn't sure _who_ had instigated—maybe he moved, maybe she moved, maybe they both moved at the same time? He was too confused, having never felt these emotions before within him. And, even though she had left already, he continued to find his thoughts continuously drifting to Videl. Her pale complexion like porcelain, the soft skin on her face, her beautiful, delicate features that had suddenly shown how feminine she was to him, her night black hair which had seemed to bring out the paleness of her skin even more, her big, sparkling, dark blue eyes that had seemed so endless in their depths, her pink, full lips, which had been as soft as an angel's wings upon his own…

Oh, crap. Why couldn't he get her out of his head? He let out a sigh as he placed his hands on his hips, before looking into the sky as he made himself hover in the air, looking back at the fading dot that was Videl's jet.

He then began to fly back home, unable to get a certain black-haired, blue-eyed girl out of his mind.

* * *

Videl was grinning widely as she flew around in a series of quick, acrobatic flips and twists in the air, while Gohan and Goten were watching. Gohan was nodding in approval, while Goten honestly didn't understand what was so amazing about Videl flying—he could do _exactly_ what she was doing without even a thought! Why did Gohan seem so _proud_ of her? He was just waiting with his big brother so that he could instantly begin training with him the moment that the completely human teenager was gone.

Videl waved down at the two boys, proudly showing off her skills, while they waved back at her. Eventually, she landed in front of Gohan, having finished with showing off her awesomeness.

"Great job, Videl," Gohan praised her. Once again, she felt that familiar rush of pride as Gohan complimented her—even though he was doing it more often now, since she was greatly improving on her ability to fly, it hadn't grown old.

She ran a hand through her short black hair, wearing a smug smile on her face. "Thanks. I've really gotten good at this, huh?"

Goten barely restrained a "Pfft" of unbelief, unable to stop himself from lightly rolling his eyes. Plenty of other humans were able to fly better than she could! Krillin and Yamcha and Tien were all able to fly _way_ better than she was able to, and he and Trunks could do better than her without even trying! Seeing his little brother's light reaction, Gohan shook his head slightly, knowing that the little boy was definitely spending too much time around Trunks and Vegeta—he had been at Capsule Corp for just about the whole day yesterday, and it was showing a bit.

"Yes, you have," the older boy smiled, nodding his head. "There's nothing more that I can teach you—you're all set." He knew that he had told her the same thing yesterday, but this was more final, it seemed.

Both of the teens had acted as if yesterday's little kiss hadn't happened, deciding that they weren't sure about how they had felt about it. Neither of them wanted to bring it up, wanting to figure out exactly how they felt about that innocent touching of their lips before the topic was brought up again between them. Until they figured everything out, though, they had both determined that they wouldn't mention _anything_ to each other.

Once again, at Gohan's words, Videl felt both pride and very slight disappointment as well. She shook off the disappointment once again, not paying attention to the odd, foreign emotion that she shouldn't be feeling at this moment.

"Man, when Dad finds out about this, he is going to _freak_," she said, and she couldn't help but smirk, wondering how her father would react when he found out that she was 'suddenly' unable to fly. She was sure that it would be _very_ entertaining.

Gohan couldn't resist a chuckle at that as well as he shook his head. "I'm sure that he'll be surprised."

"That's the understatement of the century," Videl muttered as she rolled her eyes. "But, hey, thanks for teaching me how to fly."

"It's nothing," Gohan replied offhandedly, grinning at her as he waved his hand in a general direction, showing his nonchalance.

She smiled a bit at him, his easygoing demeanor once again infectious. It was sometimes hard to believe that the boy could be serious—she had learned that he definitely _could_ be over the past few days, especially yesterday, when he thought that she might've drowned in the water. One could sometimes not imagine the guilt that he had been feeling from the death of his father as well.

"I think that I'm gonna fly home _without_ the jet today," she said, more to herself than to anyone, grinning. "It would be funny to see people's faces if they saw me in the air."

Gohan could feel the impatience in Goten's thoughts—yes, the little boy had told his older brother that he thought Videl was OK, but she kept on holding him back in training! He wanted to train with his big brother _seriously_, as _Super_ _Saiyans_, and he _really_ wanted to do it _now_! Goten felt that this conversation wasn't necessary, and was taking out of his training time.

"Yes, it _is_ funny to see other's reactions," Gohan agreed. "So, I'll see you at the Tournament, then?"

Videl nodded, and she grinned knowingly at him. "See you there…_Saiyaman_."

Gohan moaned slightly, shaking his head. However, she had promised that she wouldn't reveal his identity if he taught her how to fly, and he knew that she would keep up her end of the bargain. She then blasted up into the air, hovering for a few seconds as she waved down once again at the boys, before blasting back off to her home, grinning from the exhilaration.

The moment that she was out of sight, Goten turned to Gohan. "You're gonna train me now, right?" he asked eagerly, just about bursting with eagerness as the prospect of training with his big brother.

Gohan laughed, affectionately ruffling the little boy's hair. "Yep," he grinned. "How about a spar as Super Saiyans to start us off, squirt?"

Goten giggled as the teenaged boy ruffled his hair and at hearing the familiar nickname that only Gohan called him. "Yeah!" he replied eagerly, before ascending to the legendary golden state without any hint of effort. Once again, it made Gohan surprised just how powerful the little boy was—much more powerful than he had been at that age, for sure. It had taken him a _long_ time to turn Super Saiyan at the age of nine, and yet Goten seemed to be able to do it without any problem at all. Trunks could do it as well, apparently—the oldest half-Saiyan was surprised at how much raw power the two little boys seemed to have.

Gohan grinned, powering up as well as his hair flickered to gold and his eyes to solid turquoise. "Ready?" he asked Goten.

His little brother grinned eagerly. "Always!" he replied confidently, before he lunged at Gohan, locking them into a spar.

After that, the two trained the rest of the day, both of them eagerly looking forward to the Tournament as they sparred. Like Videl had, Gohan had also felt a little bit of disappointment when he realized that he was done teaching Videl everything that he could. However, he knew that he would definitely see her again for the World Martial Arts Tournament.

Gohan couldn't resist grinning as he dodged another one of Goten's attacks. Just about the whole gang would be together again, just like old times.

And his dad would be coming back for the day, too.

He remembered how, at first, he had been completely unenthusiastic at the fact that he had to go to the Tournament, courtesy of the blackmail that he had just about gift-wrapped to Videl, agreeing to go and to teach her how to fly just so that his secret identity wouldn't be revealed.

Now, he was looking forward to it. He couldn't wait to see everyone again.

And he couldn't wait to see his little brother's reaction when he got to see his father for the first time.

* * *

**Hiya, guys! I would've gotten this chapter out MUCH sooner, but some family problems arose, unfortunately, and, as such, I didn't have that much free time on my hands.**

**And I know that some of you had thought that Gohan was gonna take Videl to the beach—sorry, but I wanted a place a bit more…_private_ for them :D but don't worry! They _will_ go to the beach…_eventually_.**

**Once again, happy early birthday, abbieouji (don't wanna put the date if she doesn't want it known XD)! Hope you liked this chappie as a birthday present!**

**Thanks for reading this, you guys! Please review and send me your thoughts, hearing what you have to say makes me feel all happy and warm and fuzzy inside! Thanks for reading and please review!**


	6. Joy and Horror

**Hey, guys! I know that some of you thought that that chapter was the last, and this is to assuage your fears! I'm planning on taking this story through just about the entirety of their relationship—I'm not exactly sure if I'm gonna stop with wedding or engagement, though, knowing me, I will want to do the wedding, so yeah. Anyways, this story isn't done yet! So don't worry, you guys :D. And you have Cottoncandy101 to thank for this update; the death threat that she gave me really encouraged me to update as fast as possible, and gave me that little push that I needed. :D**

**Anyways, well, not _all_ of the dialogue is gonna be straight from the anime, but I'll try my best to stay as accurate as I possibly can! Some of it is word-for-word, but some of the other stuff isn't because I am unable to access the exact episode at the moment and have to rely on my memory…which isn't all that great. So…yeah, I thought you should be forewarned XD**

**Well, that's all I had to say. Now I'll stop chatting your ear off, so here's the story!**

**Disclaimer: Hilariously derailing one-liner/disclaimer/thingy.**

* * *

After hard, intense training on everyone's part (well, _mostly_ everyone—Hercule believed that he had this in the bag, and didn't think that he had to train, making his daughter roll her eyes at him as she returned to her own training), the day of the World Martial Arts Tournament finally arrived.

It was hard to believe that a little over two weeks had suddenly gone by so quickly, but it had. Bulma had offered to pick everyone up in her hoverjet and take them over to the Tournament, and all of the Z-Fighters had agreed to it. Eventually, all of them, minus Piccolo, were packed in the rather spacious jet as Bulma piloted, with Vegeta sitting next to her, his arms crossed as he looked out of the window with the scowl that seemed to be permanently on his face. Everyone else was sitting in the backseats.

Conversations that took place inside of the vehicle were absentminded, mostly about how eager they were about seeing Goku once again, even if it was for merely a day. Gohan had also asked those in the jet with Saiyan blood not to transform into Super Saiyans, and Bulma had instantly agreed with the teenager's statement, telling her slightly disgruntled husband that if any of them transformed, the others in the audience might recognize them from the Cell Games, and the reporters would instantly begin following them around, managing to find out where they lived somehow. Even though Vegeta had haughtily claimed that he would easily be able to dispatch the reporters if they came to Capsule Corp. (he was quite used to them since they often swarmed around his home because of his wife's own fame), Bulma had told him that she'd rather he not kill anyone again, and to just listen to Gohan for crying out loud. The few couple of times that reporters had managed to penetrate the security of Capsule Corp., she had barely been able to stop the Saiyan from going on a rampage after the "lowly, pathetic humans" had _dared_ to "interrupt his training". Needless to say, she didn't want yet _another_ repeat of that.

When they reached the island where the tournament was being held, those who had participated in it before had been surprised at how different it seemed. There were so many more people, all cheering for Mr. Hercule Satan, the defeater of Cell, it seemed. Krillin thought that it looked like a big fair, and Bulma had commented that it had way more people than before, and had muttered about her dislike of crowds. They had run into Piccolo, and Gohan had eagerly greeted his former mentor. However, right after he had spoken to the Namekian and heard that his father still hadn't showed up (and had, yet again, gotten even more criticism from Piccolo about the outfit that he was going to be fighting in, but he didn't let it bother him), Gohan began to wonder a bit, and had begun looking for his father.

_Where_ _could_ _Dad_ _be?_ Gohan wondered, looking around in the crowd. His father would've stood out, with his considerable height and his unruly mane of spiky black hair. As everyone else reassured him that his father would come, Gohan couldn't help but feel anxiousness clawing at him as he looked around for his dad.

"Hey, kid, calm down," Krillin said reassuringly as he looked up at the teenager. This slightly disgruntled the short former monk—he remembered a time when Gohan had only been his height, maybe even shorter than him. Now, he barely seemed to reach the kid's waist. Stupid teenage growth spurts that Krillin had seemed to have been denied of. "You know your dad—he'll show up soon."

"Yeah," Gohan replied, his grin slightly forced, his dark eyes not stopping their quick scanning of the crowd.

As time passed, however, even his mother was beginning to wonder where her deceased husband was. "Where's Goku?" she asked, her dark brown eyes looking around as well.

Krillin, seeing the slight anxiousness in his friends, gave them an easy grin. "Hey, how about this—I'll scope out the area and see if I can find him for you guys!"

"Yeah, I'll go, too," Yamcha added, giving them a reassuring grin as well.

It was then, however, that, suddenly, an oh-so-achingly-familiar ki signature appeared right behind them. Shocked, everyone turned around, to see the familiar figure grinning right back at them, waving at them as he laughed.

"Hey, guys!" Goku grinned brightly at them. "Wow, you've all changed a _lot_ in the past seven years, huh?"

"…_DAD!"_ Gohan shouted happily, unable to take his eyes off of his father, seeing the familiar Son grin, the orange _gi_, the spikes of hair that never would go in a different style, his _father_, his _dad_. He was here, with them, even if it was only for a day, but he was _here_, in the world of the living, he was _back_.

Goku focused his gaze on his son, and his grin turned even brighter as he took in the appearance of the teenager. "_Wow_, Gohan," he chuckled, smiling at him. "You're _giant_!"

Gohan couldn't help but laugh, but the sound was slightly choked as he felt the sting of tears behind his eyes, which were hidden for the most part behind his black sunglasses. Around him, people in their little group were having mixed reactions: Krillin looked like he was on the verge of tears, along with Yamcha, Oolong, and Bulma a bit, who let out a slightly choked whisper of, "It's him!" in pure shock, a smile on her lips. Chi-Chi whispered her husband's name, a smile on her face and unshed tears shining in her eyes, as Goten grabbed onto her skirt and hid a bit behind her leg. Puar was flying in excited circles, and Roshi simply welcomed Goku back, while Piccolo wore a knowing smirk on his face. Unlike her husband, however, Eighteen didn't really seem to react at Goku's arrival. Vegeta didn't really react to the sight of his rival back for the dead for the day; his reaction, if any, was the faintest baring of his slightly overlong canines at seeing the clown's goofy grin on his idiotic face once more. Trunks simply looked at Goku, sizing him up against his own father, and just about coming to the conclusion that his dad looked _so_ much tougher than Goten's dad, which made him smirk with pride.

After a few moments of everyone simply standing, looking at Goku as they assessed their emotions, the temporarily alive warrior spoke up once more. "So…are you guys just gonna stand there and stare at me all day?"

It was as if those words had broken everyone from a trance. Gohan ran to his father, along with Krillin, Yamcha, and Oolong, all of them running up to hug Goku eagerly. Goku laughed at the strength of their hugs, unable to return their embraces at once, so he gently pushed them off of him, first returning the hugs of his friends before returning the heartfelt embrace of his son. "Dad…" Gohan whispered against the tears, struggling to keep them in.

"I'm here, son," Goku replied softly, squeezing him a bit tighter before he let go.

Chi-Chi couldn't stop her smiling. "Oh, Goku, sweetheart…I missed you so much," she whispered happily, looking at her husband with love in her eyes. She didn't realize how much she had missed him until now, as if her heart had a missing piece that she hadn't noticed was gone, but had now been fixed, was now complete.

Goku looked up from his friends to meet his wife's eyes, and he smiled gently at her. "I missed you, too, Chi," he told her warmly, before his eyes widened as he caught sight of something hiding behind her. Goten, realizing that he'd been noticed, gasped a bit in surprise and ducked behind his mother once more, gripping onto her clothes, barely peeping one eye out from behind her.

"Goten, it's OK," Chi-Chi told her little boy gently, looking down at him, before turning back to her husband.

"Hey, I think there's a little _me_ behind your leg, Chi-Chi!" Goku exclaimed, pointing at the little boy as he leaned the slightest bit closer.

Goten peeked out from behind his mother's leg, now showing his whole face. However, he refused to let go of his mother's skirts. "I'm Goten," he said firmly as he looked up at the man who was just about as tall as Gohan.

Goku smiled, walking up to them. "And I'm Goku," he said quietly, grinning down at the little boy, realizing that this was his second son. He hadn't been sure, but he knew that he wanted to leave a little piece of him with his wife, if he died in the Cell Games, which he did. He was glad that he was able to meet the little boy now. "Hi."

A few moments of silence passed as father and son simply looked at each other, Goten sizing his father up and Goku simply looking at his youngest son for the first time.

The silence was broken, and Goten gleefully shouted, "DADDY!" as he ran forward, shooting out from behind his mother to tackle his father in a hug. Goku laughed at the force of the little boy's embrace, and he picked Goten up with one of his arms, setting him on his broad shoulder.

"Whoa, hey, there, little guy!" Goku laughed. "You're a strong one, aren't ya?"

Goten laughed along with his father, before pressing his face up to the man's, so that their cheeks gently rubbed together in a show of affection. In return, Goku lightly hugged the boy around his shoulders, before taking him down. "Hey, you wanna be an airplane?" he asked his son eagerly.

"Yeah!" Goten replied eagerly, and Goku took the boy in his arms and began imitating an airplane, complete with the noises and everything as he held Goten, swinging him around, while the little boy laughed delightedly.

As he watched this, Gohan couldn't help but smile. The little boy's reaction to meeting their father was better than he had expected—seeing the pure joy on his little brother's face filled Gohan with satisfaction.

Baba finally spoke up, a small smile on her wrinkled face as Goku had played with Goten. "Remember, Goku, all I can give you is twenty-four hours. Understand? I'll come back when your time's up."

Goku turned to the old woman and nodded, still holding Goten. "Yeah, I know." Baba nodded, before she began to fly away on the crystal ball. "See ya, Baba!" Goku called as she eventually disappeared from sight, and he continued to play a bit with his son.

It was then that Piccolo realized that they should get moving—everyone else had already cleared the area and had moved on to the sign-up area. All of the fighters walked away, saying goodbye to their families and sticking together with each other. All of them began to sign up, and, through this, Goku learned the reason for Gohan's ridiculous outfit, that he was posing as the Great Saiyaman. Trunks and Goten had gotten disappointment when they learned that they were unable to fight in the adult division, and, even though Trunks had been rather adamant on the fact that he wanted to fight with the adults, the two little boys were unable to fight in the division that they wished.

"Gohan?" Goten said, tugging on his big brother's hand.

"Yeah?" Gohan replied, bending down slightly to show that he was even more attentive to his little brother.

Goten cast a glance at their father, who they were slightly ahead of now, as Goku cheerfully chatted with Krillin. He then looked at Gohan again, smiling up at him.

"You look like Daddy," he grinned.

Gohan laughed. "I guess I do," he grinned. "But have you looked in a mirror lately, squirt? If anyone _really_ looks like Dad, it's you."

Goten turned back to look at Goku, who was currently laughing at something that Krillin had said, and squinted a bit, before he grinned.

"I guess I do," he smiled, repeating the same words that Gohan had said before. "Daddy's really nice, Gohan. He's everything that you said."

The older boy smiled back down at his kid brother, affectionately ruffling the kid's unruly hair. Goten giggled, before he ran up to go talk with his best friend, while Gohan went back to where his father was amiably talking to his own best friend. Goku commented on the fact that Krillin's hair made him look not like Krillin anymore, because he was so used to his short friend being bald. Then, the deceased warrior reacted in pure shock when he saw Android #18, and had learned that she was now married to Krillin and that they had somehow managed to have a kid together.

While they caught up on what had happened in each other's lives, Gohan was simply content to be next to his father again, to listen to his voice and to hear his familiar laugh, to see his smile.

No matter what, Gohan knew that, since his father had come back, that this day was going to be absolutely perfect.

* * *

Finding Gohan would be just as easy as finding a needle in a haystack on a farm in a country.

Videl knew that it would be _very_ hard to find Gohan in the insane crowd. He could, literally, be _anywhere_, and she had no idea where to look. She turned her head this way and that, her blue eyes searching for the tall boy.

"Where could Gohan be?" Videl asked herself quietly, pursing her lips the slightest bit as she thought where he could be. Knowing his appetite, he would be wherever there was food…

"Hey, Videl," a voice interrupted her, a voice that was _not_ Gohan's voice as she'd been hoping.

Narrowing her eyes, Videl turned to make sure that she had been correct on who had spoken. "Sharpener?" she asked, seeing her blonde guy friend sitting on one of the brick walls. For some reason, he was all decked out in a white suit, holding a bouquet of some admittedly pretty red roses in his hand. He smirked confidently at her as he jumped down to the floor easily, probably wanting to show off the fact that he was pretty strong. This only made her internally roll her eyes as she looked expectantly at her friend.

Sharpener extended the flowers to her. "Thought that I'd bring you some good luck," he told her, giving her a smirk that would've had most of the girls in their high school swooning dramatically. However, Videl was _not_ like most of the girls in her school.

"No thanks," she told him, her tone suggesting that she couldn't care in the _least_ at what he got for her as she turned around, her back to him, eyes still scanning the passing crowd for Gohan.

"I got an expensive camera just for today. I'm gonna take pictures of _you_," Sharpener continued from behind her.

_That_ _makes_ _him_ _sound_ _like_ such _a_ _creepy_ _stalker,_ Videl thought to herself, smirking a bit as she shook her head. She knew that Sharpener liked her, but sometimes, he could go a bit overboard with trying to gain her affection, like right now. "Oh, that's nice," she retorted dryly.

"Come on, you're pretty, Videl," he told her. "I think your hair is shorter."

"Aren't _you_ observant," Videl muttered sarcastically, placing a hand on her hip as she continued to look for her black-haired friend, blue eyes continuing to scan the people that passed by. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she squinted the slightest bit, and then she smiled a bit as she found him—dressed in his Saiyaman outfit, no less. She was vaguely aware that Sharpener was saying something, but she wasn't paying attention to him anymore as she ran out to meet Gohan.

She easily reached him—he had been walking at a leisurely pace with two other people who Videl hadn't bothered to really look at.

"You know, you're lucky that I recognized you," she said. At the sound of her voice, Gohan turned, and he grinned brightly at her. He had begun to wonder where she was, and he had told himself that he would find her energy signature a little later, but she had beaten him to it.

"Hey, Videl!" he greeted her, the classic Son grin on his face as he looked at his friend. Videl couldn't help but smile back at him, her arms crossed in a relaxed position.

"Hey, Gohan," she returned. Vaguely, a nagging little voice in the back of her mind was telling her that Sharpener had greeted her just about the same way, but the way that she had replied to the blond boy had been totally different than the way that she had replied to Gohan now. Why did she react so differently? She fiercely told that little voice that it was because Sharpener had been trying to "woo" her, while Gohan was just greeting her as a friend. That _had_ to be the reason, it _wasn't_ because that she'd rather hang out with Gohan than with Sharpener, even though she had known Sharpener for longer…

…Right?

She shook those confusing thoughts out of her head, continuing her conversation with Gohan as she fully took in his appearance. "So, what's with the turban and shades look?" she asked, confused.

Hastily, Gohan harshly whispered, "Shhh!", placing a finger in front of his lips for emphasis. At this, Videl huffed a bit in indignation, annoyed that he'd just shushed her, but knew that it was probably for a reason. Gohan made a motion with his head that told her to follow him, and she did, as he led her into a corner much like the area where she had run into Sharpener before. Once there, he explained his situation to her, telling her that he didn't want anyone else in school knowing about the things he could do.

"So that's why I'm entering as the Great Saiyaman," Gohan finished explaining, looking at Videl, who had nodded at his rather reasonable explanation. She had been kidding a bit when she had said her goodbyes to Gohan on that last day of flying lessons, calling him Saiyaman but not actually thinking that he'd appear as his super-hero alter-ego, but she supposed that his explanation was pretty solid.

"Well, I won't tell a soul," Videl reassured him with a small smile.

He grinned in return at her, relieved that she wouldn't tell. He trusted her. "Anyway, how's everything with you? Did you perfect your flying?"

At this, Videl's smile turned into a slightly smug grin as she proudly placed a hand on her hip. "Yep," she told him with pride ringing clearly in her voice, shining in her sapphire eyes. "Now I'm _twice_ as fast; come on, I'll show you!" With that, she began to hover in the air for a few moments, before she blasted off. Gohan, with an amused chuckle, followed after her, and noticed that she did, indeed, go much faster than she had been before.

The two of them were flying over the island, and Videl turned to see that Gohan was easily keeping pace with her, passing her the slightest bit. She grunted in annoyance, narrowing her eyes as she slightly sped up just to spite him, determined that she would _not_ let him pass her. Gohan smirked a bit, finding this oddly reminiscent of the time that they had flown to his lake, where they had made a makeshift race out of their traveling there.

Eventually, Videl began to descend, landing on a balcony of one of the buildings in the area where the WMAT was being held. A few moments later, Gohan landed in front of her, facing her. She was smirking proudly, hands on hips. "See? I won't hold anything back," she told him.

Gohan couldn't help but smile with pride for his student. "I am impressed," he told her. "You did a great job, Videl."

"Thanks," she answered proudly, seeming to brim with confidence from his praise.

Just then, however, Sharpener appeared, having come up the steps of the building before. Gohan was facing him currently, and his eyes widened as he saw his classmate wearing a white suit, holding a bouquet of roses in his hand. That was _not_ the Sharpener that he knew. The blonde looked annoyed as he spoke up.

"Videl, I've been looking everywhere for you!" he said, causing Videl to turn around in surprise as she faced her friend, and then resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Yep, he was _definitely_ a stalker, she concluded with a smirk.

Gohan, not wanting to get in the middle of a confrontation that he was pretty sure would break out between them (What was this odd feeling that was beginning to take over him? It was cold and cruel, and wished for nothing more than for Sharpener to disappear, and felt very off, something that Gohan had never really felt before in his life. _Jealousy?_ But why would he be _jealous_?), began to walk back to the stairs, saying, "I'll leave you two alone."

Suddenly, the blonde boy's hand shot out, gripping Gohan's red cape before the black-haired boy could make an escape. "Hold on," he said, glaring a bit at Gohan. "What's _your_ name?"

Videl's eyes hardened at the tone that Sharpener was using, and she instantly leapt to Gohan's defense. "The Great Saiyaman," she replied, her voice hardened like her eyes as she sent a glare Sharpener's way, telling him without words to back off.

At this, Sharpener turned to her suspiciously. _"Really?"_ he asked, drawling out the word. "Is he a _friend_ of yours?" His tone was just about dripping with sarcasm.

However, Videl remained unfazed as she smirked and shrugged a bit at the blonde. "Well, we _do_ spend a lot of time together fighting all of those would-be criminals." She then looked over at Gohan, whose back was still turned, but couldn't help but conspiringly wink at his back. "Right, Great Saiyaman?"

Gohan was stiff as a board. "That's right…I, uh, guess…" he stammered. However, his mind was a jumble of thoughts that revolved around the fact that Videl was now defending him, that he wasn't sure how he was supposed to respond, and why, oh, why did Sharpener have to come at that moment, he really hoped that Sharpener wouldn't find out who he was, oh, that would end _badly_ if he found out now—

His frantic stream of thoughts that weren't currently making any sense stopped as Sharpener turned to face him. "Who the hell _is_ this guy?" he demanded, as if he was hoping to get an answer.

Videl walked over to Gohan so that she was now standing behind him—between him and Sharpener, almost a sign of defensiveness. "You don't listen very well," she told Sharpener, her voice almost light, almost as if she was _teasing_ him. "No one knows his _real_ identity—right, Great Saiyaman?" She was smirking at Gohan's back, he knew it, he could _feel_ it, he didn't even have to turn around, _why_ was she acting like this, this was _very_ odd behavior for her…

"Uh…" All Gohan could do was sheepishly laugh. He couldn't answer that honestly, his thought process not working right now, still trying to get over the fact that Videl was defending him.

"Right. _Saiyaman_," Sharpener repeated, mockery in his tone as he rolled his eyes. "Spare me."

However, Videl was very perceptive, and she smirked confidently as she placed her hands on her hips, looking at the blonde teenager. "My, did I hear _jealousy_ in your voice, Sharpener?" she asked him, mockingly, teasingly, knowingly. Her statement made him seem to reel in shock, and his face in that moment was absolutely _priceless_.

"What? No way!" he replied defiantly, even though Videl knew that he was lying through his teeth.

Just then, a nasally voice over the loudspeakers came on. "All contestants for the World Martial Arts tournament, please report to the warm-up pavilion," he said, sounding as if he wanted to do anything _but_ be giving this announcement. "Preliminaries will begin with or without you."

Videl blinked in surprise—she didn't think _that_ much time had passed since she and Gohan had started to fly. "Whoa," she said, startled, "we better hurry over there."

She walked up beside Gohan, and reached out for his arm, holding onto his wrist with her right hand and on the inside of his arm, near his elbow, with her left hand, as she lightly leaned against his right arm. At her actions, Gohan couldn't help the furious blush that overtook his cheeks—Videl had _never_ done such a gesture in front of people before. Sure, they had held hands sometimes, but they had _never_ done so in _public_, so this was a gesture that greatly surprised Gohan and caused his cheeks to redden. Unable to think of anything else, he looked down at the girl holding onto his arm, and he stuttered out, "Y-yeah…we better…"

He and Videl began to walk away from the shocked and utterly stunned blond-haired boy, and Videl smirked as she said in a taunting and smug tone, "See you later, Sharpener." She didn't look back at him as she continued to lean against Gohan's strong arm.

The moment that they had completely descended down the stairs, Videl broke out into snickers. "Oh my god, did you _see_ his _face_?" she asked Gohan, smirking up at him. "It was absolutely _priceless_!"

Gohan, still a bit thrown off by her odd behavior before, wasn't really able to reply. "Um…what exactly _was_ that back there, Videl?" he asked. "I mean, Sharpener was all dressed up as if he was going to a _wedding_ or something…"

"He just wanted to impress me," Videl said offhandedly with an annoyed eye-roll at the thought of her blonde friend.

"…and you instantly leapt to my defense when Sharpener questioned my identity…" Gohan went on, looking back down at her expectantly.

"Oh, well, I didn't like the way that he instantly seemed to…well, jump all over your case," she answered. "He _instantly_ wanted to know your secret identity, and I didn't like the way he was saying it."

Gohan raised an eyebrow at her, and Videl let out a slightly frustrated breath. "Yes, I know that I'm being hypocritical right now, but…well, things are different now, you know? And, honestly, I don't think Sharpener would take the fact that _you're_ the Great Saiyaman very well."

"He _really_ wants your attention, huh?" Gohan noted absentmindedly. He'd never seen Sharpener act that way before, or dress up so nicely. Even though he hadn't spent a lot of time with the blonde teenager, he had a feeling that suits weren't something that he normally wore to school.

Videl sighed, shaking her head a bit. "Yeah, he does," she muttered. "For some unfathomable reason, he likes me. I mean, yeah, he flirts with just about every girl in the school, but, well, he _really_ likes me." Even though it was sometimes hard to tell who Sharpener seemed to like, both Erasa and Videl had guessed that he _really_ liked the black-haired girl. Even so, even though Erasa liked Sharpener, her friendship with Videl hadn't been harmed in the least. They were best friends for life, and that was how it was going to stay, no matter what; it was something that comforted both of the girls, to have such a stable best-friendship.

Gohan opted to not say anything in reply, feeling that odd little prick of jealousy once again. Quickly, the boy shrugged it off, determined not to let it affect him. "Thanks for defending me," Gohan said instead with honesty. It meant quite a lot to him, considering the fact that, at first, Videl hadn't cared at _all_ who learned about Gohan's identity, in fact using it as blackmail for him to enter. Now, she was defending him.

Videl smiled back up at him. "Hey, it's nothing," she told him, leaning against his shoulder once more, lightly squeezing his arm. Gohan had taken her hand, lightly interlacing their fingers together as they continued to walk over to the warm-up pavilion for the prelims. "Sharpener just really wants to get my attention." She sighed a bit once more, closing her eyes as she began to speak words that she would only allow Gohan to hear. "I just don't understand why he would like me," she confessed quietly, not even caring that Gohan was listening to her at the moment. "He probably just likes me because of my dad. Most people do, nowadays. Not all of them are like you. Thanks for not only being my friend because of the fame, it means a lot," she added as an afterthought that was truly meant.

Hearing her slight lack of confidence, Gohan spoke up. "Why do you think that he'd like you just because of who your dad is?" he asked her, honestly wanting to know. "You have a lot of traits that are just for _you_ that people would like. I mean, you're strong, you're brave, you're pretty, you're independent, you're confident, you don't give up, you're talented, and you're…special, individual in your own way. There's never gonna be another person like you, ever."

She was silent, and only then did he realize what he said, and a dark blush threatened to come over his pale cheeks. He wasn't sure about how she was going to react—

"That's so _sweet_ of you, Gohan," Videl told him, sending a brilliant smile up at him, her blue eyes shining. Gohan found himself once again mesmerized by the amazing blueness of her lovely sapphire eyes, and he grinned back at her, the rosy blush still lightly present on his face. The truth was, it had been so long since she'd been complimented like that by anyone other than Erasa, who gave compliments to just about _everyone_ because of her naturally friendly and bubbly demeanor, and gaining a compliment of such magnitude from Gohan meant a lot to Videl. Smiling contentedly, she brought her head back down to rest on his muscular arm, closing her eyes as she squeezed his hand gently, unable to wipe the smile off of her face. She looked up at him for a moment to see him grinning back at her as he lightly squeezed her hand in return, continuing to walk over to the pavilion.

Eventually, they reached it, and for some odd reason, both of them were loathe to let go of each other. Reluctantly, though, Videl let go of Gohan's arm right before they would be seen by anyone else, before they had to go their separate ways. Gohan felt the familiar energies of his family and friends a little ways from where he currently was with Videl, and if he remembered correctly, they were around the changing rooms. They probably just finished now, so he'd be able to catch them before they went in without him.

Videl looked up at Gohan, and she couldn't keep the smile off of her face. "Thanks for escorting me here, Saiyaman," she said lightly, grinning at him teasingly.

"You're welcome, milady," Gohan replied, doing a mock bow, causing Videl to laugh and roll her eyes at his weirdness, before she went inside, while Gohan went over to meet up with the other members of the Z-gang.

After Gohan met up with his family again (none of them had asked where he'd gone, thankfully), they all entered the pavilion together. When they had entered, not a minute seemed to pass before Hercule Satan made his appearance in all of his pompous galore. Krillin, always the joker of the group, made a comment on how people would even cheer for a _goldfish_ if a champion belt was put on him, making the group laugh.

As the kids went off to the junior division (Trunks and Goten weren't pleased in the least), the rest of the group went closer to see what exactly was going on. (Along the way, Gohan had run into a few weird things. First of all, Sharpener had fallen right in front of him once; then, someone sprayed his eyes and his sunglasses with a water gun, he guessed; then, a kid had asked for help to see everything, and Gohan had obliged by placing the kid on his shoulders, before the kid snatched his glasses off for a moment. What was going _on_ today?). They learned that they had to pass the preliminaries by punching a punch machine (which was new to all the others who had competed in the Tournament before). Gohan found Videl once again in the crowd, and the two teens eagerly waved at each other, before Mr. Satan demonstrated the use of the punch machine, gaining an "impressive" score of 137 points.

They all lined up, and Gohan temporarily separated from his little group to go stand with Videl in line, causing her to smile at him as she allowed him to stand in front of her. Things were going pretty smoothly—and then Eighteen went, getting a score of 774. Of course, no one believed that someone could punch such a high number—and a _girl_ no less—so they fixed it up, and the Android had to hold in her strength considerably more (she had been holding back before, but she didn't know that she barely had to _touch_ it! These humans were such weaklings.). She still managed to get a score of 203, causing everyone to look at her in shock (well, except the rest of the people in their little group).

The scores of the next few people—Krillin, Goku, and Piccolo—were around the 200 range, startling everyone else in the audience. They believed that there was something wrong with the machine, and had asked the next person to wait so that they could fix it. However, the next person going up was Vegeta, and there was no way in _hell_ that he was going to wait. After briskly telling the man to stand aside, the Saiyan prince punched the machine—and it broke on impact.

"So much for restraint," Gohan muttered under his breath with a roll of his eyes, while Videl's eyes damn near bugged out of her head from her shock. Her father was the strongest man in the world, but _these_ people had easily gotten 200's, and the last man had broken the machine! How was this _possible_? The man didn't even seem surprised—he just had his arms crossed against his chest, looking away, seeming _bored_, dare she say it.

Seeing that Gohan wasn't reacting, she looked up at him in both confusion and still surprise from before. "_You_ don't seem surprised," she noted, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, I don't know if you _noticed_, but those people got around the _two-hundreds_, and that _last_ man just _broke_ the _punch_ _machine_!"

Gohan decided not to answer, honestly surprised that none of the _others_ had broken the punch machine in the first place. And even though he broke it, Vegeta had _still_ been holding back quite significantly; he opted for silence in this situation. It was then that the group of warriors began to walk away from the machine, seeming unfazed by their high scores and the fact that the intimidating-seeming man had broken it.

"Look at them," Videl huffed, crossing her arms against her chest defensively as she calculated them with suspicion in her blue eyes. "They think they're so strong in their little group."

Just then, Videl got a closer look at the one in the orange _gi_ as that group got closer to them, and she noticed that, for some reason, his face looked a lot like Gohan's, and there was an odd-looking circle of golden light around his head. The little group stopped right where they were, and the one in orange grinned at them.

"Is this the friend that you were talking about, Gohan?" he asked, causing Videl's eyes to widen. Gohan laughed nervously in reply, while the man continued, prodding the teenaged boy on, "Well, don't just stand there, introduce us!"

"Um, Videl, these are my friends," Gohan said, feeling the slightest bit awkward. "Guys, this is Videl."

Krillin snickered. "Oooh, Chi-Chi was right, Gohan, she's pretty cute," he taunted. "Good luck with getting on her dad's good side."

Gohan groaned. _"Kril-lin,"_ he moaned dejectedly, wishing that he could disappear, the fierce blush on his cheeks unable to be dimmed at his short friend's comment.

"Hey, we're going to check out how the boys are doing in the junior division," Goku told him. "You coming after you finish the prelims?"

"Yeah," Gohan replied, nodding, before he waved at Piccolo. The Namekian offered a nod at his former student, before he walked away, slightly behind Vegeta, who was already headed over to where the junior division was taking place.

"Good luck, Gohan," Krillin teased knowingly as he walked away with his wife, causing the teenaged boy to groan.

"See ya there, Gohan!" Goku called back with a grin as he waved, and Gohan grinned sheepishly back and returned the gesture warmly.

As they left, the boy turned to see that Videl was looking at him with wide blue eyes, shock clearly written on her features. It seemed as if she was unable to form words for a few moments, before she managed to stammer out, "You _know_ them?"

Gohan laughed, embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his head in traditional Son manner. "Yeah…you saw the one in the orange? He's my dad," he told her truthfully.

If Videl's eyes bugged out any more, Gohan would swear that they would pop out of her head and fall onto the floor. "Your _DAD_?" she nearly shrieked, stopping herself before she quickly brought her voice down to a sharp hiss. "But…but I thought you said that he was…well, _dead_!"

Gohan honestly had no idea how he was going to talk his way out of this one, so he decided to go with the truth. "Yeah, he is," he offered sheepishly. "That's why he had the halo over his head. He came back just for the day."

She simply gaped at him as she remembered the odd ring of light above the man's head, at first thinking that it was a joke and then noticing that Gohan was definitely _not_ joking. "How…?" After a few moments, she shook her head, her brain simply unable to process the fact that Gohan's _dead_ father had somehow come back to _life_ for the day.

She sighed, deciding not to let her mind think about it too much. Gohan waited for her reaction, and was relieved when she simply shrugged her shoulders and didn't really ask anything more about how his father was miraculously able to walk among the world of the living once more after being dead.

With Gohan, she had learned, surprises were _not_ a rare occurrence, and the utter impossible sometimes seemed possible concerning him. Weirdness seemed to follow the kid around. And, truth be told, she honestly didn't mind it that much, and was reminded of why when she looked back up at the teenaged boy to see him grinning that big, innocent, and true grin of his at her, a grin that she was unable _not_ to return.

After all, surprises weren't _always_ bad, and weirdness was a _hell_ of a lot of fun.

* * *

As expected, the ones who advanced to the finals of the junior division were, obviously, Trunks and Goten. Unfortunately, both of the little boys had broken the little rule that Gohan had asked of them before they had reached their destination, transforming into Super Saiyans once for a few mere seconds, but it was certainly enough for some people to notice, and to wonder where they'd seen faces like that before. Thankfully, though, they didn't pay much mind to it, even when the boys exhibited their amazing fighting skills, their ability to fly and shoot energy beams. The humans thought that the boys were simply very talented, much to the relief of a certain half-Saiyan teen.

The winner of the match had been the older of the two boys, much to the pureblooded Saiyan prince's pride, knowing that his son was better than Kakarot's second spawn. After Trunks had done the little fight with Hercule (the eight-year-old boy barely even tapped the man, and he had flown back and crashed into the wall, much to Trunks' surprise. He'd thought that the 'strongest' man in the world would hat least have a _little_ more strength than everyone else, but he seemed to be even _weaker_, if possible.), the boys had snuck off somewhere after the match. The parents of the boys weren't worried about that, though—after all, the boys were both half-Saiyan, and the only people that could _really_ harm them were their own fathers.

During the little gap in time between the end of the junior's division and the match-ups for the adults, Videl tagged with Gohan's odd group of friends over to where the food was. Her eyes were wide as she watched the three men with Saiyan blood, yet again, ate so much food that it seemed completely impossible for them to be able to fit inside of their bodies. The short man, who Gohan had told her was Krillin (he had informed her about everyone in the little group based on their vivid descriptions), had watched them with awe, muttering to himself as he wondered what the hell Saiyan stomachs were _made_ of (of course, Videl didn't hear this comment, only Goku, who laughed at the comment).

They then had run into two very odd individuals, one with pink, wrinkled skin and long white hair and a nose that seemed like a beak, the other with smooth purple skin, almost delicate features, and an odd white mohawk to go along with it. To make things even weirder, they were wearing the most _ridiculous_ clothes—Videl honestly thought that they looked worse than Gohan's Saiyaman outfit, which, oddly, had seemed to be growing on her slightly, not finding it so ridiculous and weird as she had not too long ago. The one with purple skin had said that he was looking forward to sparring with Goku after shaking the slightly stunned man's hand with a smile on his delicate features, before they left.

_That_ had been weird.

After that, much to the embarrassment of a certain Saiyan-hybrid, while they had been drawing the numbers that would tell them who they would fight, Krillin made yet another jab at Gohan about Videl, after he had been told that she was the daughter of Hercule Satan and he knew for sure. Yet again, he'd teased that Videl was quite the looker, causing Gohan to blush and to stammer out that he hadn't noticed such a thing (oh, it was such a lie, but Krillin didn't need to know that). However, the former monk wasn't an idiot, and knowingly laughed, telling Gohan that if he threw in a bit of charm to the girl that she would easily fall for him. This only caused the teen's blush to grow deeper as he hastily told his friend that he and Videl were _just_ _friends_ and nothing else. Krillin, however, didn't seem to be convinced, and shrugged with a knowing smirk on his noseless face.

Then, they had found out who was going to be going against who. Krillin was going up against a huge fat guy named Pintar who taunted the much shorter man after their match had been decided; Piccolo was going against the mohawk-dude, who they learned was named Shin; after that, Videl was going up against a guy named Spopovich; then, it was Gohan's turn against Kibito, the pink-skinned man they had run into earlier; after him, Eighteen would go against Mr. Satan; then, to everyone's surprise (and also pure horror), Goku and Vegeta were set to fight against each other in the first round—it couldn't end in anything _but_ disaster; a weird-looking guy dressed up in a funny-looking outfit, named Mighty Mask (who looked oddly disproportionate to most of the other fighters—why were his arms so short, but he had such a long body?), would fight against a man named Killa; and, last but not least, someone named Jewel (the one who seemed to be extremely famous with the ladies, who swooned when he flicked his blonde hair over his shoulder and sent a look with his dark eyes their way) would be going against a man named Yamu. For some reason, both Spopovich and Yamu looked really weird and tense, with skin that seemed almost _gray_ and veins sticking out all over the place, made even more prominent because of the fact that their heads had no hair, showing the veins on their head that were bulging for some reason. They even had an odd letter 'M' embedded on their foreheads.

When the adult tournament finally began, most things had gone as had been expected. Krillin easily defeated his opponent with two simple hits, glad that he was able to get him back after the barbs that he'd shot towards him, which wasn't even a surprise to any of his friends but was a shock to most of the other people in the audience, who had believed that the large man would easily flatten the poor, unfortunately short man.

However, the next match that took place wasn't so normal, but wasn't something that anyone would worry about. For some reason, Piccolo had forfeited his match against Shin, seeming shocked by something that he'd been told when he came back to the others. When asked, he wouldn't reply to anyone, not even to Gohan, who was, by far, the person who he was closest to. None of them really paid attention to it, however, since Piccolo had his moments of weirdness, just like the rest of their group.

It was during the next match that all freaking hell broke loose.

At first, Videl had easily seemed to have the upper hand against Spopovich, her technique much, much cleaner and more precise than the sloppiness that the other odd-looking man was showing. Even Goku and Krillin noted that her fighting style was rather good, and Gohan just nodded knowingly as he looked at his former pupil, smirking with pride.

There had been some weird things, though—each time that it seemed that it had been a sure knockout for Spopovich, the man continued to get up easily, as if he was oddly unfazed by Videl's flurry of attacks, which were enough to knock out any grown man easily. As time went on, Videl began agitated, making her punches and kicks more powerful. She even managed to kick him so hard that his neck completely cracked, his head turning completely around. A gasp of horror went through the crowd, and her own eyes widened as she looked at the damage she had done—she hadn't wanted to _kill_ him! The announcer had then said that she was disqualified since she killed her opponent…so why was he still standing?

Now the gasp that went through everyone was a gasp of shock as Spopovich smirked, grabbed the sides of his head, and turned it around, setting it right back in place as if she hadn't just freaking _broken_ it.

"What the…?" Krillin gasped, eyes wide with his disbelief. "That's impossible! He should be _dead_!"

Gohan had the uneasy feeling that things wouldn't end well, and that feeling only intensified when Spopovich suddenly decided to make his move.

Videl, slightly drained from the energy that she had exerted earlier, was suddenly on the receiving end of an onslaught of fierce punches and kicks that she hastily tried to block. She didn't notice that he was forcing her back towards the edge until it was too late, and he gave her a mighty blow that nearly threw her out of the ring; on instinct, she stopped herself from hitting the ground, flying up into the air and hovering well above the ring, breathing slightly heavily as she gave herself time to recollect herself.

"That's right," Gohan mumbled to himself, looking up at her with concern in his eyes. "Just stay in the air and take a breather. Don't go back in there until you're good and ready."

"You taught her how to fly, right, Gohan?" Goku asked, turning to his son. In response, the teenaged boy nodded absentmindedly, his eyes still watching Videl intently as she looked down at Spopovich, sweat falling down from her forehead as she brought the back of her hand to stem the slight stream of blood that was coming from her split lip.

"Wow, she's good," Krillin commented, impressed that she'd managed to learn so much in a month without ever hearing about ki beforehand. Once again, Gohan absentmindedly took his praise with another nod, not taking his eyes off of his friend who was currently fighting.

What happened next surprised everyone, even those who knew that Videl could fly—Spopovich took to the air as well, showing that he was able to fly also, which was something that he most definitely could _not_ do at the last tournament. She looked up at him in shock while he wore a sinister smirk on his face, chortling madly as he began to power an odd, unnatural purple light in his palm. Before she was able to react, a dark purple energy beam shot out from his palm, and, since she was unable to dodge, she took the full impact of it, nearly crashing into the tiled floor. She caught herself before she would collide, landing on all fours as she looked up at him defiantly after she landed, quickly going back into her fighting stance, wincing the slightest bit.

Something was wrong, and all the warriors knew it.

"At least he can't do big energy blasts," Krillin muttered in relief.

However, Vegeta spoke up, and his next words only made Gohan even more anxious and worried. "That's not it," he told them, his onyx eyes watching the fight between the admittedly strong young human woman and the gray-skinned freak. "He has some sort of…unlimited power. He can't kill her, though, or else he'll lose the match."

"Unlimited?" Gohan repeated, eyes widening as he turned to face the taciturn Saiyan prince. All he received was a nod, while Goku added his own piece.

"Vegeta's right—it's limitless," the dead warrior brought back for the day said, his face unusually serious and grave.

"But…but what does that _mean_?" Gohan asked, more to himself than to anyone else, worriedly watching the young human woman, who suffered a few more fierce blows with Spopovich.

"I don't know, Gohan," Goku replied seriously. "I don't know."

Videl let out a cry of pain as Spopovich sent a hard kick her way, kicking her upside the head, causing her to cough out blood, flying across the tournament ring and landing painfully on the tiles. The announcer shouted that she may be down for the count, since she wasn't moving much, hissing through her teeth in pain.

"Stay down, Videl!" he shouted over to her. "The match is over, just don't stand up!"

She grunted in her pain as she forced her upper body up, supporting herself with her forearms, before managing to get on one knee. Her breathing was slightly labored as she shut her eyes, blocking out the pain, her muscles screaming for her to stop, to just give up.

But she wouldn't give up. No, she could _not_ give up. _Never_ would she give up. _Ever._

With considerable effort, Videl cracked her eyes open fully, and pushed herself off of the ground, facing the creep as she lowered herself into her fighting stance once more, panting, wiping the blood that was dribbling from the corner of her mouth.

"She _stood_ _up_," Gohan moaned on the sidelines to himself in dismay as he watched her bravely face the gray-skinned man, launching a flurry of attacks at him that were much weaker than when she had started out.

Then, Spopovich suddenly stopped one of her punches from connecting, smirking at her as he grabbed her fist in his considerably bigger palm. In vain, she tried to knee him in the stomach, but he easily caught that, too. Quickly grabbing her ankle, he then proceeded to swing her body around like a rag doll over his head, around and around and around, before he let go, causing her to fly across the arena once more.

She was too weak. She knew that she wouldn't be able to stop herself from landing outside of the ring when she reached the edge, no matter how much her mind thought she could. She just couldn't move anymore.

And then, suddenly, she felt something grab her ankle once again, hard.

Opening her eyes a crack, they flew open when she saw Spopovich wearing a sadistic, creepy grin on his face, snickering as he hauled her back inside of the ring, throwing her back on the hard tiles and knocking the breath out of her.

It was at that moment that the Z-fighters realized that Spopovich was just toying with her, and that angered Gohan to no end.

He stood over her as she cracked her eyes open, and he began to laugh maniacally as he began to punch her in the stomach as she was on the floor. Repeatedly he hit her abdomen, causing her to gasp and to hack up blood, crying out in pain. Again and again he punched her, not letting up in his punches on her.

_"Thank you for treating me like…well, _me_."_

Gohan's fists clenched as Videl's words from a couple of weeks ago echoed in his ears, his teeth grinding together, his rage beginning to break through as Videl let out another cry of pain. Spopovich grabbed her by the head, his fingers dangerously close to squishing her skull as he kept a firm grip in her head, before he began to, once again, repeatedly sock her in the stomach with even more force this time, causing her to gasp once more and cough out even more blood.

_"Thanks for being a real friend, you know? You're one of the only people to ever be a true friend to me, and it means a lot."_

Again, he punched her fiercely in her middle.

And again.

And again.

_"You freaking _purr_. You have no idea how freaking _cute_ that is."_

Spopovich finally dropped Videl on the floor, causing her to let out another cry of pain once more, while he just snickered with sick, sadistic pleasure. She didn't seem to be moving any more, her breaths coming in short gasps as she desperately tried to get air.

_Just stay down, don't get up, please, don't get up, just stay down—/_Gohan's thoughts were frantic, sporadic because of his growing rage and his worry for her, not knowing if he was shouting out to her or if he was silent.

However, with considerable effort, Videl managed to get herself off of the ground, falling back into her fighting stance once more, still gasping for air. It looked like she would fall over at any second, just barely standing up, only able to remain standing because of her indomitable willpower.

The creep found this funny, and quickly reached out and grabbed her hair tightly, causing her to squeal in her pain, trying to stop him but unable to as he continued to pull on her short hair. It hurt, god, it hurt, but she couldn't move, couldn't fight back, she was too weak, even though she thought she wasn't but her body said that she was too weak too weak to go on…

And Spopovich just continued to wear that crazed grin on his face, enjoying, _reveling_ in her pain.

_"You're pretty nice—hell, I'd say that you're kinda _sweet_, with the way you interact with Goten and stuff, and you treat people like true friends. And, you know, you're kinda cute."_

He dropped Videl on the floor so that she was now lying on her side. Then, he brought his foot up, and began to press down on her temple with his heel.

Videl screamed in agony at the pain that erupted behind her closed eyelids, screaming and screaming and screaming.

Gohan snarled viciously, almost like an animal. He felt his power flicker, felt the Super Saiyan transformation that was literally begging to be unleashed upon his skin in his fury.

"Gohan! You have to calm down!" Goku shouted to his son as he felt his power spiking in his rage.

The half-Saiyan teen's only reply was another vicious snarl, his eyes behind his shades flickering turquoise for a moment before returning to onyx. For a second, a golden aura began to flash around him, and then just as quickly it disappeared.

"Stop it, Gohan, you have to control yourself," his father told him seriously.

He didn't understand. None of them did. He couldn't lose someone else. He couldn't fail them. He couldn't fail _her_.

Videl's shrieks of agony continued to roar in his ears, somehow seeming to be even more amplified to him as he snarled once more, his canines showing, his muscles tensed and coiled to spring, seeming more like an animal at the moment than a person.

Spopovich was just laughing in sadistic delight as he pressed his foot even harder on her temple, causing Videl's screams to escalate, piercingly loud, while the audience went crazy, screaming to stop the match, to stop this madness. Their shouts fell on deaf ears as he continued to press his foot on her head.

Her screeching and screaming made her throat raw, but she didn't care because oh god it hurt so much all she knew was pain pain pain pain pain make it stop stop stop please make it stop so much pain it hurt so much just please make it _STOP_!

The sounds that were coming from her throat seemed unable to be created from human vocal chords, sounding more like the dying cries of an animal, just sounds of pure pain.

_"You know…I never met anyone like you, Gohan Son. You're different than everyone else…and in a good way, too."_

Gohan heard his father yelling at him, but he couldn't listen to what the man was saying, unable to hear anything else but Videl's shrieks of agony, her screams and shrieks of pain.

And Spopovich was just _laughing_.

Then, Videl's eyes welled up with tears, and she began to cry from the pain, it hurt so much, she didn't care that everyone was seeing her cry because it hurt so _goddamn_ _much_.

Her tears of pure agony fell in relentless torrents down the side of her face as she continued to shriek and scream in anguish.

It was the last straw.

Gohan snapped, letting out a sound that resembled the roar of an animal as his Super Saiyan transformation appeared on his skin. His turban flew off as his hair spiked up and turned blonde, a powerful golden aura surrounding his body. His red cape flew off from the raw power that he was exerting as he snarled.

Once again, his father was trying to persuade him to calm down.

"NO!" he shouted. "I'VE HAD _ENOUGH_!" Then, he blasted off, despite Goku shouting at him to come back, only seeing Videl's broken body, only hearing her screams resonating in his ears, her shrieks reverberating through his head.

However, Spopovich suddenly stopped. Gohan didn't understand why, but he removed his foot from Videl's temple, turning towards the other creepy gray-skinned man, Yamu, who was speaking to Spopovich. Gohan didn't hear what they were saying, but he managed to stop his frenzied movements as he stood not too far from where the arena was. He didn't hear anything but Videl's moans of pain, couldn't really see anything other than the tears that were still lightly pouring down from her eyes.

Then, Spopovich grabbed her ankle once more, causing Gohan to snarl. Then, however, the man dropped her out of the ring, and she lifelessly fell on the grass surrounding the arena. Spopovich had won, and he walked off as if he hadn't just nearly killed someone.

It snapped Gohan out of the slight daze that he'd been in, the temporary animal that had taken over his system. His Super Saiyan aura died down, his hair losing its shining golden color and turning back to black, the bright aura disappearing from around him.

"Videl!" he shouted, running towards her without a second thought. He quickly reached her, kneeling down beside her limp form, as the announcer came over as well to see how she was.

"We need a stretcher over here!" he yelled.

"No," Gohan suddenly said, his voice hard and determined. He brought his right arm under her shoulders, lifting her upper body the slightest bit upwards as she moaned, while he brought his left arm under her knees. "_I'll_ carry her." His tone left no room for argument as he gently cradled her in his arms, supporting her head with his hand. He stood up, still holding her with no visible effort.

He then caught sight of the one who had left her in such a state, and his rage consumed him once more, making him see red for a moment. "Spopovich!" he growled out threateningly, glaring daggers at him.

The hulking gray-skinned man turned slightly at the sound of his name, and made eye-contact with the teenage boy. "Next time, it's you and me," he snarled venomously at the sick, heartless monster. "And _I'm_ going to win."

The only reply Gohan got from Spopovich was more snickers, before he turned and walked away with Yamu, going to who-knows-where. Gohan honestly didn't care, only caring about the girl that he was carrying in his arms, as he ran back to the waiting area

As he ran past his friends, Krillin stopped him for a moment, causing Gohan to turn to look at him.

"Hey, kid," Krillin told him, "your dad went to Korin's to get some Senzu beans for her."

Hearing that, Gohan felt the slightest bit of relief. A Senzu would heal Videl in no time. He nodded to acknowledge that he'd understood, and said, "Yeah, that's my dad."

It was then that Videl let out yet another moan of pain, prompting Gohan to say a hasty goodbye to those from their little group of misfits before he continued to bring her to the hospital area, being as gentle as he could with her.

They were eventually alone, away from everyone else as he continued to carry her, going as slow as possible so that she wouldn't be hurt any more than she already was. He was sure that she had a couple of broken bones, and her temple probably still felt terrible as well, and she was covered in cuts and bruises and her own blood.

Videl stirred slightly in his arms, halfway in and halfway out of the realm of consciousness. "…Gohan…?" she whispered, her voice a croak.

"Yeah, it's me," he replied. She was vaguely aware of his arms around her, his thick, muscular arms that seemed to be a protective cage against her and the world. Her face was resting on his strong chest, and she was able to feel his heart beating against her cheek, felt his chest rise and fall gently with his breathing.

Oddly, she had never felt safer than in that moment. Yes, she was all bloody and bruised, but in Gohan's arms, she felt the oddest feeling of security, knowing that he would protect her.

Not that she _needed_ protecting. But still, it felt…nice. Safe.

She coughed out a little bit more of blood and phlegm, causing a reddish stain to appear on Gohan's green robes. However, he didn't seem to care, and only seemed to go faster towards the hospital. It was then that the pain seemed to hit her all at once, and she moaned again in her pain.

"It…it h-hurts, Gohan…" she whispered hoarsely, feeling more tears begin to form in her eyes. She let them fall, unashamed as of now. If it had been anyone else, she was sure that she would've sucked up the tears, no matter how much it hurt. But this was _Gohan_. He wouldn't judge her, and, quite frankly, she didn't care at the moment because it hurt _so_ _much_.

"I know it does, Videl," Gohan told her. "But you'll be OK. I'm bringing you to the hospital, and they're gonna fix you right up, and you'll be back on your feet before you know it. You'll be just fine, Videl, you'll be perfectly fine." He was trying to comfort her with his voice, and to also convince himself. She would be just fine. His dad was getting a Senzu bean for her, and she would be just fine after she got it. Feeling her tears hit his clothes caused something inside of his gut to twist once more.

Her tears continued to fall in her pain, and she weakly nodded in reply. "I…I should've…been a-able…to beat him…"

He agreed with her—compared to the creep's sloppy techniques, Videl was, by far, the more skilled one of the two. It was only because of the unlimited power that Spopovich had somehow obtained that gave him the raw power that he needed to beat her.

"No one thinks any less of you, Videl," he said reassuringly to her. "That bastard was just lucky, that's all. I know that you would've beaten him, but he somehow had an unfair advantage."

Videl let out a short gasp of pain as she coughed up a bit more blood on his clothes. She wanted nothing more than to pass out, but, for some reason, she didn't. She just wanted to escape all of the pain.

Then, she felt slight warmth emanate from Gohan's body, the same warm, fuzzy feeling that she had felt when he had used his energy to dry her off when they went to the little lake. The pain didn't become so unbearable, being replaced with only the slight comforting warmth that wreathed around her. She opened her eyes a crack and saw through her blurry tears that the same gentle light from before had gently appeared over both of them. It didn't take away her pain completely, but it greatly diminished it, and her tears slowed down the slightest bit.

"Th-thanks, Gohan…" she said gratefully as she unconsciously leaned a bit more into his chest, leaning towards the gentle lull of warmth coming from him.

"Don't thank me," Gohan replied, his voice suddenly full of self-loathing. "I could've stopped it, Videl, but I didn't. I'm sorry."

"You…you didn't do…a-anything wrong…" she told him quietly. "I-it…was my match. I…woulda been…_pissed_ i-if you tr-tried…to stop it…"

"But still…it had gone far out of hand, Videl, I should've stopped it," he said in reply. "He nearly _killed_ you…"

"S-stop blaming yourself…for stuff…that's n-not…in your control," she murmured, her voice still hoarse from her screaming, but she was comforted by Gohan's warmth, the gentle warmth of his ki. "There's n-nothing for…you to be…sorry a-about."

But it was _his_ fault. He could've somehow stopped it, even though it was against the rules to interfere, but he didn't care. After Spopovich had gotten her down after brutal punches, the match could've ended. He didn't have to _pull_ _her_ _back_ _in_ and _continue_ torturing her.

"I'm sorry, Videl," he said softly, continuing to feed her his ki, her eyes fluttering shut.

"It's O-OK, Gohan…" Videl whispered, voice cracking as she opted not to speak too much any more because it hurt her voice.

"No, it's not," he insisted, shaking his head even though he knew that she couldn't see him. "I'm sorry, Videl, I'm so, so sorry."

He was sorry for everything. Sorry for allowing Spopovich to continue to beat her, when he could've somehow stopped it; sorry for not getting to her sooner; sorry for letting her down. He could've helped, but he didn't. He hated himself for it.

He'd failed someone else, yet again, just like he had failed everyone else—Piccolo and Mirai Trunks and his dad and Android #16 and…so many people who had been counting on him, but he had let them down.

And now, he failed Videl. Yet again, he was unable to save one of his friends from pain, from agony. He murmured small reassurances that she would be all right in her ear, feeling her relax a bit more in his arms, from his voice and from his ki. However, the guilt he felt consumed him, and, in between the comforting words he whispered to her, he always whispered two words to her.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

**I know that not all of it was completely accurate, but I tried my best—I didn't always have access to the videos, so yeah. I tried to stay as accurate as I could, though, I hope that this suffices!**

**Anyways, I also want to say thanks to all the people that have reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. Thanks for all the support! It was one of my reviewers (I said this in the beginning, but I'll say it again) that got me off of my lazy butt and threatened me to add a new chapter—you can thank Cottoncandy101 for that little push XD. And, for those of you who think that this story's gonna end here, oh, trust me, there's still a LOT of stuff that's coming. I'm taking this all the way through the Buu saga and up till their wedding, I think. There's still quite a ways to go before this story ends, trust me XD.**

**Thanks for taking the time to read, and please, please review! You guys are what keep me going, and you're all the best! XD Please review! :D**


	7. Explanations and Promises

**Hello, everyone! Thank you for taking the time to review! Oh, and also, just to make it clear, this is going to go as much with the canon storyline as possible, making it a possible way for Gohan and Videl's relationship to have blossomed and developed in the real storyline. As such, as I am currently in the Buu saga, things will go mostly according to canon, with my own little twists here and there but still following the main storyline, because, as I've said, I want it to be a canonical approach to their relationship. The Buu saga should only be about two or three more chapters, because I don't want to repeat the _whole_ thing all over again, because it'd be boring, so you guys don't need to worry that I'll only do the Buu saga. I can't wait to write the post-Buu, because I have so many ideas and surprises up my sleeve…*evil cackle* XD**

**So…that's really it, I suppose.**

**Well, hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: …this gets old over time. Nope, I don't own it, I wish I did, but I do not. Oh well.**

* * *

He'd been told numerous times by the doctor that he could leave now, continuously thanking the boy for bringing her over here and that he could return back to the Tournament.

But he couldn't.

No matter what the doctor said, no matter how much thanks he gave and how much insisting that he could leave, that he _should_ leave to give her rest, and to fight in his match in the Tournament, Gohan just wouldn't—_couldn't_—leave Videl. It felt as if he was physically unable to make his limbs bring him to the door and outside of the hospital, rooted to the spot next to the bed where Videl was currently laying on as the doctor treated her wounds. Every light moan that came from her mouth in her pain caused something within Gohan to twist, each and every time she emitted a gasp, a groan of hurt.

There had been a few times, however, that as the doctor fixed up Videl's wounds, she let out a sharp hiss as the pain became excruciating. He would apologize and tell her that he needed to do this in order for her to heal and that he had told her that it would hurt, and, seeing that, Gohan did the only thing that he thought he could and knelt down next to her, offering her his hand. She took it and squeezed it through the pain, grinding her teeth together—before she had known it, the pain was gone, and the doctor had finished treating that nasty wound.

After that, Videl hadn't let go of Gohan's hand, which was another reason why he couldn't simply _leave_ her. Every time the doctor had said that he could leave, her grip on his hand slightly tightened, barely anything, but he felt it; it was yet another reason why he wasn't leaving her. Especially when one of her joints had to be popped back into place—she had damn near cried, but it was only her grip on his hand that kept her from doing that as she fiercely bit back the yelps of pain that wanted to make their way through her throat. He knew that he couldn't leave her, not when she was hurting so much.

She hissed once again in pain as the doctor had to clean another rather nasty wound that she had been given by the crazed lunatic, and she gripped onto Gohan's hand fiercely, her grip so tight that he was sure that if he was a normal human that his bones would've shattered. She breathed hard through her nose, forcing herself not to scream.

"Hey, it's all right, Videl," he told her gently, and, at the sound of his voice, she seemed to slightly fight off the pain as she continued to squeeze Gohan's hand with a death grip. Hearing his reassuring voice in her ear slightly calmed her down, feeling him gently feeding his ki to her in an attempt to take away her pain, to make her forget it, at least for a little bit. "I know it hurts, but the doctor says that this is the last big one—after this, they're all minor, and then all you'll need is some nice, long bed rest. I've got you, Videl."

Not long after he finished speaking, the pain from her wound being treated went away, and she breathed a deep sigh of relief. She opened her eyes a crack to see Gohan trying to smile down at her, and the doctor nodding. "That was the last of them," he said in finality. "Everything else is very minor—they shouldn't hurt nearly as much."

"Th-thank god," Videl managed to get out, her voice still hoarse from the bloody murder that she had been screaming beforehand, during the fight with Spopovich when he had been crushing her temple with his foot. She looked up at Gohan and made eye contact, managing to smile a bit, even though it slightly hurt her face. "See? I'm O-OK, and there's n-nothing to be sorry f-for," she told him. He opened his mouth to object, but she beat him to it, still able to glare fiercely at him even though she was in pain. "I s-swear, if you s-say sorry one more damned t-time, I'll punch y-your face in. You did n-nothing wrong. G-get it?"

Hearing the familiar tone in her voice, Gohan couldn't help but crack a grin at her in slight relief; she was still as fiery-tempered as ever. "I get it," he finally said with a grin, deciding to comply with her wishes; it did not, however, decrease the gnawing guilt that he felt inside of him as he looked at her bandaged and patched-up body.

"Good," she replied, smirking lightly at him, before she closed her eyes once more, allowing herself to relax as Gohan's comforting thrum of ki continued to flow over her body, taking away some of the pain and replacing it with the warm fuzziness that came from his energy.

Neither of them knew how long they simply stood like that, settled in a comfortable silence as the doctor continued to clean and fix up Videl's other, less major wounds, but suddenly, loud, banging footsteps sounded outside in the hallway, before the door was flung open my none other than Hercule Satan, who had a look of shock and worry on his face. When he saw his daughter lying on the bed, be let out a surprised gasp and shouted, "Videl! My precious baby!"

He ran up to her, just about shoving Gohan out of the way as he took in the sight of the teenaged girl covered in bandages—the doctor was currently treating a cut on her cheek, but she currently wasn't showing that she was in any pain, still having access to Gohan's gentle pulse of ki. When Hercule suddenly turned, as if just noticing Gohan, the young man hastily let go of her hand, so that the older man wouldn't jump to conclusions.

"Who did this to her?!" he demanded, before his eyes just about narrowed to slits as he glared at Gohan. "Did _you_ do this to _my_ _daughter_?!"

Gohan was shocked with the fierce accusation that Mr. Satan had just thrown at him, and then felt the tiniest twinge of anger in him as he was suspected to have done this to Videl. As if he would _ever_ hurt her! All sense of rationalism had left at that thought, because he knew that Hercule had no idea that Gohan had spent time with Videl while he taught her how to fly, who had no idea that Gohan would never harm those he cared about, but Gohan didn't care about that in that moment. The only thing that the half-Saiyan was caring about was the fact that he had just been accused of hurting Videl, who he would never hurt, who he had promised to protect. However, before things could even begin to get the slightest bit ugly, the doctor spoke up.

"No, this young man didn't do this to her, Mister Satan," the old man reassured he slightly distraught father. "In fact, you should be thanking him. He brought her over here as quickly as possible, so that her injuries wouldn't get any worse."

"Oh," Hercule said shortly, averting his eyes back towards his daughter. "Well then, thanks, kid, I'll give you my autograph later, you can go now," he said, his tone suggesting that he wanted to be left alone with Videl.

"Um…OK," was all Gohan was able to get out, surprised at the way that he was simply being dismissed. He wanted to stay with Videl, but he had a feeling that Hercule would jump to the wrong conclusions if he demanded to stay in the room. He got up out of his chair, cast one last glance at the still calm form of Videl, and began to leave the room, going to the closed door.

"Wait…Gohan," Videl managed to get out. Gohan paused, his hand on the doorknob as he instantly turned at the sound of her voice, looking at her, seeing her hand right hand slightly reaching out to him.

"Yeah, Videl?" he replied.

"Spopovich…" she whispered, cracking her eyes open to look at Gohan once more. "Go g-get 'im…"

Gohan grinned lightly at her. "Sure thing; right after this next match, if I win, I'll be going against him."

"I kn-know you'll win," Videl told him, managing a very, very small smile in return. "Ki-kick his ass f-for me, O-OK?"

"Of course I will," Gohan told her, smirking the slightest bit as he gave her a thumbs-up. Videl's smile grew slightly wider at this, and she was able to close her eyes in peace now, mumbling her thanks to Gohan. The boy grinned, before finally leaving the room.

"Videl, sweet pea, why'd you ask that scrawny little runt to take care of Spopovich? Your daddy's gonna beat him up for you," Hercule said, looking at his daughter oddly. When she said nothing in return, her features simply serene, the smallest hint of that smile still on her face, he looked at the door where the boy had just left, then back to his daughter, and made the connection.

The rant was expected as Hercule exploded, going on about how Videl wasn't allowed to date anyone yet, that she was only allowed to date someone who was stronger than him and that he would _not_ let her date that scrawny kid, and blah blah blah. Videl easily toned her father out, eyes closed, knowing that Gohan was going to kick Spopovich's sorry little butt without remorse. Gohan would take care of it for her.

She couldn't resist as her smile widened the smallest bit.

* * *

Anxiously, Gohan was pacing, back and forth and back and forth, barely even conscious of his movements, constantly sending glances up at the sky. He rarely spoke, often making noises of annoyance and impatience when he realized that his father wasn't back yet with the Senzu beans. He had already asked the announcer to give him a few minutes so that he could get medicine for Videl, but he still felt that he wasn't enough, and couldn't claw away the sense of anxiety that had taken hold of his heart.

He continued to pace, arms behind his back, wondering what the hell was taking his father so damned long to just use Instant Transmission to go over to Korin's tower, get the Senzu beans, and come back. He ran a gloved hand through his black hair absentmindedly as he yet again cast a glance towards the sky as he stopped pacing, before letting out a grunt of annoyance and resuming his pacing once more.

"Hey, kid, calm down," Krillin said, looking at the teenager with concern in his brown eyes. "Didn't you say that she'll be fine? It won't take long for your dad to come back with the Senzu." The only reason that it was taking so long was because Goku probably wanted to catch up with Korin and Yajirobe, who he hadn't spoken to in seven years.

Gohan made yet another noise of exasperation. "That's not _it_," he nearly growled, pacing even faster now despite Krillin's attempt to assuage his fears. "How can I just stand here and do _nothing_ while Videl's in the hospital?" He felt the sudden urge to punch something, but resisted, instead running his fingers through his hair once more in agitation.

"I'm gonna go see her," he announced to no one in particular, making a snap decision. He didn't care if Hercule was there—he had to see her again. It had been a pretty long time already since his father had left—well, to Gohan, anyway. A half an hour seemed like an eternity to him as of now, and Goku _still_ wasn't back yet.

Without another word, and despite Krillin's protests, Gohan ran back to where he remembered the hospital was, knowing only one thing—he had to somehow see her again, to somehow take away the pain that she must be feeling. He ran, having nothing else on his mind but reaching her.

His plans came to an abrupt halt, however, when he saw that the door to the room that Videl was in was absolutely swarming with reporters. He quickly made sure that he wasn't seen, before running in a different direction, determined to reach Videl. As he tried a different direction, he unknowingly passed right by Sharpener and Erasa. Doing an almost comical double-take at seeing them—they must want to see Videl, too—he quickly changed his direction.

Eventually, though, when he wasn't able to get in any other way, he gave up with frustration, before going back to the area where the rest of his friends were waiting for Goku to return. Gohan resumed his anxious pacing, and, thankfully, Krillin didn't comment on the teenager's behavior.

Barely a minute later, however, Goku suddenly appeared in front of them, holding a brown bag in his hands and a grin on his face. Feeling his father's ki suddenly arrive, Gohan turned, and, seeing the bag of Senzu inside of Goku's hand, gave a relieved sigh.

"Here ya go, Gohan," Goku told his son with a smile, giving the boy one of the magical green beans. Gohan's demeanor completely changed—he was now hopeful and relieved, and he clutched the Senzu in his hand, grinning at his father and offering his thanks before he ran off to Videl's hospital room.

This time around, there were no reporters at all crowding around the door. Silently thanking Dende for his pure luck, Gohan ran up to the door and opened it, and was hit with a fresh wave of guilt as he saw Videl.

She seemed to have been feeling the pain more now, since he had stopped transferring his ki to her. Her face was currently set in a grimace, her hand clutching the white sheets under her tightly, grinding her teeth together. Unbeknownst to him, while he had been anxiously waiting for his father to return with the Senzu beans, she had whispered his name, because she had known that Gohan helped take the pain away, that she felt better when Gohan was near.

"What're you doing back here, kid?" Hercule demanded, turning as he saw Gohan burst into the room. Hearing her father's voice, slightly accusatory, Videl opened her eyes a crack, and she saw Gohan. She couldn't keep the tiniest of smiles off of her face when she saw that he had come back for her.

Gohan ignored Hercule, and went next to Videl, standing by the bed, holding the Senzu in one hand and reaching down to her with the other. She gently took his hand, smiling a bit more when she once again felt the warmth of his energy passing to her, almost as if it was instinctual, as if he wasn't even fully conscious that he was doing it.

"Hey, Videl," Gohan greeted with a small grin, while her father spluttered in the background in pure shock, his eyes focused on their joined hands. Neither of the two teens paid attention, and she managed a small smile in return.

"Hey, Gohan…" she returned, able to speak a bit better now; however, her voice was still hoarse, making it sound the slightest bit scratchy. "You won your match, right?"

"Well, the match didn't start yet—I asked them to wait until I got you some medicine," Gohan told her, and his grin got even bigger.

"Medicine? Gohan, I've just gotta…get some bed rest, and I'll be…good," she said, confused.

His grin turned slightly knowing as he showed her the green bean that was in his left hand. Seeing the slight skepticism with which she was regarding the seemingly ordinary bean, he explained to her. "This is a special bean, Videl; it'll make you feel better, I promise."

Hearing that, Videl couldn't help another small grin on her face. "Knowing you…something completely unreal is gonna happen…huh?"

"Yeah, something like that," Gohan smiled, bringing the bean closer to her mouth.

However, the doctor was the one that spoke up now, looking at Gohan doubtfully. "I'm sorry, young man, but I haven't prescribed that bean," he told Gohan.

"That's right, don't you dare give her anything of yours!" Hercule almost yelled at Gohan, not trusting the boy in the least.

"Dad…it's OK," Videl whispered, first looking at her father before looking at the teenaged boy above her. "If he says that it'll make me feel better…it will. I trust him." This was said with another small smile, as her declaration of trust reminded the two of the simple day that they had spent at the lake, when she had told him without words that she trusted him when he asked.

Gohan nodded, smirking for a moment before he gently placed the bean in her open mouth. She chewed it with slight effort on her part and swallowed, against her father's protests, and Gohan was satisfied—the bean's magical healing powers would kick in at any moment now.

"OK, now, I have a match now. See you, Videl!" he said, and he quickly left the hospital, running back to where all of his friends were gathered.

"Videl's gonna be OK, I gave her the bean," he announced to no one in particular. Krillin and Goku grinned at him.

"All right—now, go on, you've got a match to fight!" Goku encouraged his oldest son, giving him a clap on the back. Gohan laughed, before he went up to where his opponent was standing, waiting for him.

The man who he was going against, Kibito, seemed slightly impatient and disgruntled at the boy's lateness, but didn't say anything as Gohan came up beside him. As the announcer told the crowd who the two individuals were, the teenager scrutinized his opponent with a critical eye. He had to make sure that he didn't get ahead of himself, because this guy seemed to have a decent power level.

"Hey, um, thanks for waiting," Gohan said truthfully. All he received was a grunt in return—oddly, it reminded him of Vegeta, and he couldn't help but grin slightly as they climbed up the stairs into the ring.

As the announcer continued to speak, talking about the two still before they began their fight, voices called down to Gohan from the stands, voices that were actually calling him by name. Startled, he turned to see Erasa grinning down at him from the stands, waving at him, while Sharpener also called down slight encouragement to Gohan.

"Hey, Gohan, why don't you take off your shades?" Erasa yelled, smiling. "You look a lot cuter without them!"

"Yeah, Brains, ditch the glasses!" Sharpener added.

Gohan blushed the slightest bit at Erasa's comment, and let out a sigh after he realized that his classmates had figured out his identity—in slight defeat, he took off the sunglasses and threw them out of the ring so that they landed on the grass, before grinning sheepishly up at his friends.

"There ya go, you cutie!" Erasa laughed, causing Gohan's light blush to reappear again on his cheeks, before he turned back to his opponent, who was looking at him impassively.

The announcer called out that the match would begin, and Gohan went into a light fighting stance once more, waiting for Kibito to make the first move. However, when the wrinkled man didn't make any attempt to go into a fighting stance at all, simply standing there and looking at Gohan, the boy began to wonder what was wrong with this guy. He didn't look like he wanted to fight, so why had he entered—

"I need to see you transform into a Super Saiyan," Kibito said abruptly, his voice deep and serious and unfaltering.

Hearing that, Gohan couldn't contain his shock, and was struck dumb for a few moments, simply gaping at his opponent. When he finally regained the ability to speak, he managed to stammer out, "H-how…how do you know about that?"

"Never mind that," Kibito replied gruffly. "Just transform for me, please, I'd like to see it."

Now, suspicion began to creep into Gohan's system. "Why do you wanna see it?" he asked distrustfully, glaring at Kibito slightly with his onyx eyes.

"There is no time to explain, please, just transform," said Kibito, seeming slightly anxious, every so often sending glances towards the area where the rest of the fighters were waiting, exchanging quick looks with the purple-skinned mohawk-guy, Shin.

Suspicion still slightly pricking at him, Gohan decided to give the man what he asked for—if Kibito wasn't able to handle it, well, it was the man's own damn fault for asking Gohan to transform in the first place.

"All right, I'll transform," he agreed, inwardly sighing at the fact that just about all chances at a normal life were now gone with this decision. With that, he clenched his fists, and began to power up to his Super Saiyan form, not noticing the glance of triumph that was quickly shared by Kibito and Shin.

* * *

Hearing the jeers of the crowd, Videl ran over to see what was going on in the arena, despite her father's protests.

Whatever Gohan had given her was some serious stuff—just about moments after he left, she had suddenly felt…different. With shock, she had sat up, and had realized that she was completely healed, her bruises and cuts gone, just like that. Jumping up in her eagerness, while her father and the doctor looked at her in pure and utter shock at the fact that she was fully healed, she had gotten a change of clothes, quickly washed herself up, and put the new clothes on. Instead of a pink T-shirt with a white tank top and her traditional black spandex shorts, she was not wearing a long-sleeved shirt which was dark blue but had orange sleeves, with the word "FIGHT" written in red letters on the front, and white jeans. After she had quickly appraised herself in the mirror, glad that she looked satisfactory, she had gone out, hoping to manage to catch some of the fight that Gohan in.

When she heard the jeers was when she had started to run, wondering what was going on.

She ran over to the arena, going to the area where the fighters were staying. She shoved past someone, who let out an indignant, "Hey!" in response, but she honestly didn't care. She ran up to the sign, and hoisted herself up, supporting her body weight with her arms.

It seemed as if she was caught in a trance as she watched Gohan.

The young man's fists were clenched, a white aura pulsing steadily around him from the pure power that he was exerting. His clothes were flowing from the energy that was coming off of him, and she saw his eyes flash teal for a millisecond, before flickering back to onyx. However, his eyes were only obsidian for another moment as they flickered turquoise again, until finally, his eyes remained solid turquoise, no pupils at all. His hair began to raise, becoming even spikier than normal as it flickered blond for a second, and for a moment, the white aura that was coming off of him turned gold. It seemed that electricity was cracking around him, sparking around him erratically.

Letting out a yell, a burst of bright, golden light exploded from around him, encasing him in brightness for a few moments. She hastily shut her eyes against the bright light, and, when she had regained her vision, she was stunned into silence as she looked at the place that Gohan was standing.

Around him, a powerful gold aura was pulsating, seeming to be like flames of golden fire coming off from his skin that didn't burn him in the slightest. Small sparks of electricity were still sparking around his form, as the tiles, which had come up because of the pure force of his transformation, fell back down on the arena. His hair was now extremely spiky, and was now a brilliant, magnificent, shining golden color, almost like the color of the sun on a cloudless day. And his eyes…even though they were devoid of pupils, something which would probably frighten other people, she found it fitting, for it brought about a sense of mystery, of magic, of an unearthliness that simply…_fit_. Endless pools of beautiful, utterly intoxicating turquoise that was impossible _not_ to get lost in…. He looked like…the first word that came to her mind was an angel, and she allowed it, because it seemed right. He was an angel. He was—

Viciously, Videl was jerked out of the slight trancelike state that she had been in as she watched the transformation as it suddenly hit her.

Holy crap.

He was the _Gold_ _Fighter_.

The audience seemed to suddenly realize this at the same time as her, probably having been captured by the spell that had been unintentionally set by Gohan as he had transformed. They were all shouting that he was the Gold Fighter, and her classmates were going on about how Gohan was the Great Saiyaman _and_ the Gold Fighter.

Meanwhile, in the arena, as Gohan heard the yells of everyone, he closed his eyes, knowing that all chances of a normal life were blown away, because people were bound to recognize that he was one of the people from the Cell Games who were able to do that. They might not make the connection that he had been the little boy who had been referred to as the "Water Boy" by Hercule back then, but they would know that he was one of them.

"Well, what now?" he asked Kibito impatiently, slightly annoyed that he had been forced to transform. "Are we gonna fight?"

However, Kibito didn't reply, his eyes wide with shock as he looked at Gohan. "This power…" he trailed off. "It's…it's unbelievable!"

Gohan couldn't keep the smirk off of his face; the guy probably hadn't known what he had truly been asking for. "Yeah, and I'm not even fully powered up yet," he couldn't resist adding. He knew that he hadn't exactly advanced from the power that he had when the Cell Games were in place—in fact, he might have actually _decreased_ in power since he hadn't trained seriously for quite a while—but he still had quite a bit of power, and was still definitely one of the strongest, if not still _the_ strongest, person on Earth.

It was then that he sensed something odd, feeling two thrums of ki that were out of place, that weren't natural. He turned around to see that the two creepy gray-skinned guys, Spopovich and Yamu, were both heading towards him, flying, one of them carrying an odd object that had a threatening point at the end. Instinctually, he leaned into a fighting stance as he faced the two men.

"Looks like we've got company," Gohan growled, still feeling immense hatred towards Spopovich for what he had done to Videl. Even though Gohan knew that she was fine since he had given her the Senzu, and could, in fact, sense her now, what Spopovich had done was unforgivable, and he would never forget it. He got ready to get rid of these guys so that he could finally start the match with his opponent.

And then, suddenly, he just…stopped functioning.

It was almost as if he had suddenly been frozen in a block of ice—his body wouldn't move, going into a stiff, ramrod straight position, and he couldn't move his arms even though he wanted to and he was unable to move his legs and he was so vulnerable and _why_ _couldn't_ _he_ _move_!? His mind was screaming at him to defend himself, but his body wouldn't listen, standing stiff and straight, and he could do nothing but stare as the mean suddenly leapt on the tiles.

Spopovich grabbed Gohan, wrapping his arms around Gohan's upper arms so that the boy was unable to retaliate with any punches, while Yamu came towards him with the weird object, brandishing it almost like a weapon as he wore a smirk of triumph on his face.

"Spopovich, hold him down!" he shouted at his comrade, and Spopovich's hold on Gohan got even tighter; neither of them knew that Gohan was unable to move because of reasons that he couldn't explain.

Searing pain suddenly exploded in Gohan's left side, and he realized that Yamu had plunged the item right into his skin. And then, he felt his power slowly leaching away from him, struggling to cling on, but unable to as it suddenly began to leave his being, tearing itself away from his system.

He began to scream in pain, still completely unable to move, unable to do anything as every single bit of his power that was stripped from him felt like pieces of him were being torn off, as if he was removing skin, and the sharp point of the object caused red blood to gush from the open wound, digging into his skin as he continued to scream as his energy was forcibly taken away from him, as his blood poured out from the wound.

Over with the others, Videl was watching the scene with pure horror in her blue eyes. She had seen the men jump on Gohan, and had seen him suddenly become stiff at the same time that Shin had moved his arms. She hadn't connected them, however, and had only seen Spopovich grab him while Yamu plunged the weird thing that he was holding into Gohan's side, causing blood to spurt from the wound and Gohan began screaming.

His laughter suddenly seemed to sound in his ears, and his smile formed in her mind. Horrified, she watched the Gohan in front of her, his face contorted in pain as he wailed in agony, blood flowing profusely from his wound.

She remembered the look in his eyes when he thought that something had happened to her down at the little pond, when he had been worried that she might have drowned. The concern in his eyes, the quietness with which he spoke, the raw emotion in his gaze.

When he had the sore shoulder, when she had massaged it for him. His face one of complete, utter relaxation, sometimes blinking his eyes lazily, his mouth slightly open. This chest rumbling with those sounds like purrs in his contentment.

His gaze as he looked at her as they were in his pond, the intensity of his dark eyes as he watched her, his hand gently resting on her cheek as he tilted her head up and their lips met in that gentle, innocent kiss…

Before she even registered what she was doing, Videl had jumped over the sign, calling out his name, knowing that she had to reach Gohan, that she had to somehow help him, she had to stop this somehow she just had to—

Suddenly, strong fingers gripped her wrist. She whipped around to see who had grabbed her wrist, and saw Gohan's father, Goku, holding her back, his own dark eyes serious.

"Let me go!" she shouted at him, struggling to get her wrist out of his grip, which felt like a steel cage trapping her. Vainly, she tried to pry his fingers away from her wrist, but to no avail, her head constantly flicking back and forth from seeing Gohan, hearing him screaming, back to her wrist as she tried to get Goku to let go of her.

"Let me go, dammit, let me _go_!" Videl just about shrieked, unable to truly be heard over the roaring of the crowd from their shock, before Gohan let out yet another scream of pain. She whipped her head around, and saw that Gohan's hair was now slowly, slowly returning to its original color, the golden aura having long since disappeared, as the hair that was brilliantly gold now became black once more, his intoxicating, hypnotizing turquoise eyes reverting back to onyx slowly as well.

"GOHAN!" she screamed. "GOHAN!"

"Videl, you have to calm down," Goku told her seriously, and, at the sound of his voice, she quickly turned to look at him once more, her vision becoming slightly blurred as she felt the slight hotness of tears beginning to form in her eyes from her panic. She forced it back, blinking her eyes rapidly, before she instantly began to yell at him now.

"He's your own _son_!" Videl yelled at him, purely shocked at the fact that he seemed to care so little about his son's wellbeing as Gohan continued to scream in the background. She turned to look at him once more, before turning back to Goku, her voice breaking the slightest bit. "Please, Goku, please help him! _Please!_"

"He'll be fine, Videl," he replied reassuringly. "I know he will."

"But…but…" Her heart seemed to tear as Gohan continued to scream, blood pouring relentlessly from the wound in his side so that the white boots of his Saiyaman outfit were now stained red with his own blood as he stood in a slowly growing pool of it. "Are you…are you sure that he'll be…that he'll be fine?" she whispered, still honestly baffled that one could be so uncaring towards his own flesh and blood.

"No harm will come to Gohan, I can assure you," Shin suddenly said from next to Goku. Hearing his voice, she turned to look at him for only a second, before she turned back to Goku, as if wanting a confirmation.

"I promise that he'll be fine," he said. Then, and only then, did she calm down the slightest bit, ceasing her vain struggles to break free from his grip as she simply turned around, watching as Gohan continued to wail in pain. It seemed that the _life_ was being sucked out of him, his skin slowly beginning to have an ashy tone to it as his eyes became blank, his cries of pain becoming weaker and weaker, as if he somehow didn't have enough energy to speak anymore.

She bit her lip in anxiety, feeling a pain in her chest whenever Gohan cried out in agony, an unbearable pain in her heart as she watched him suffer. Then, she felt a strong hand gently come down on her shoulder, and she knew that Goku was giving her silent reassurance. Videl turned to him, and he reassuringly nodded to her as he placed his other hand on her other shoulder as well, so that now he was holding her by both of her shoulders. He was so tall that he didn't really have to bend his elbows, and both of them watched as Gohan's struggles became weaker and weaker. His vital crimson liquid continued to fiercely stream out from the sound in his side…

It seemed to take an eternity before Yamu suddenly pulled the weapon out of Gohan's side, saying something to Spopovich, something that Videl didn't catch, her eyes only on Gohan's unusually still form, still being held captive by Spopovich. Then, the large, gray-skinned man suddenly let go of him, causing Gohan to fall to the tiled floor lifelessly with a dull _thud_, his chest just barely rising and falling with his breaths. They then simply blasted away.

Videl only saw Gohan's limp form on the floor, blood still pooling around him from his wound. It seemed as if she snapped out of the trance that had been holding her captive, and his name once again tore from her lips as she ran up to the stage, managing to break free from Goku's hold because he wasn't holding her tightly anymore. She sprinted up to him, not caring that everyone was looking at her, only caring about Gohan as she knelt down beside him.

"Gohan?" she said, reaching out and holding his shoulder—his skin seemed as if all the color had been drained out of it, and it was a sickly gray color that couldn't mean anything good. His eyes were staring blankly ahead, unblinking, breathing coming in tiny, rasping breaths that seemed to drain him of his energy. "Gohan? Please say something, Gohan, please!" When she gained no response, she began to panic slightly once more. Turning around, she screamed to anyone who would hear her, "Hey! We need a stretcher over here, pronto!"

However, the man who Gohan had been going up against, Kibito, said, "There will be no need for that. I will heal him."

Videl turned to look at him for the first time since she'd gotten up on the stage, before having only eyes for Gohan. "What?" she whispered in disbelief.

"He will be fine," Kibito told her, before walking over to Gohan's limp body.

"You hear that, Gohan?" she said softly, running her fingers through his spiky black hair before she gently placed it on ashen cheek. "You'll be just fine, you're going to be OK." She didn't know if he heard her, but it calmed her slightly to say the words aloud.

Kibito came over, and placed his hand on Gohan's shoulder, motioning for Videl to step back. Slightly stubborn, she only condescended to standing up again and stepping back the slightest bit, so that she wasn't touching his face anymore, watching what was going to happen.

A small orange light appeared around Gohan's body, encasing him within a small cocoon of orange. It was almost like when Gohan had used his ki to dry her off back at the lake, but more substantial, somehow, able to be seen more easily. And then, before her very eyes, he began to heal.

His skin began to return to its normal pale color, not the sickly gray that had become of his skin. His eyes began to refocus, and his tiny, strangled breaths suddenly became stronger as he breathed deeper. The open wound on his side was closing, stopping his loss of blood, and soon, it was healed, the only thing showing that it had ever been there was the hole in his uniform.

"Gohan?" she asked, and felt a huge wave of relief wash over her as he finally blinked. His breathing had regulated, and he suddenly stood up, easily regaining his balance. He opened and closed his fists, shocked at first, and then he broke out into a slight grin.

"Thanks, Kibito," he said gratefully, before he looked at Videl, who walked right next to him and simply looked at him.

"Don't scare me like that again," she told him, glaring at him with her blue eyes.

Gohan managed a laugh, though it was slightly weak and raspy from his previous screams of pain. He cleared his throat, honestly relieved to see Videl all right, glad to see that the Senzu had done its magic once more. "All right, I won't," he promised, and she nodded in relief.

Before they could truly say anything more, however, Kibito spoke up. "We must go and follow my master and your father," he said abruptly.

"Hey…what _happened_ back there to me?" Gohan asked suspiciously—it had been almost as if it was a setup, because just about the moment that he transformed, the weirdoes had appeared and taken away his energy with that thing that they had been carrying.

"That will all be explained, on the way, but we must follow them," Kibito said gruffly, before he began to levitate himself and began to fly away at a slow pace, which suggested that he wouldn't leave without Gohan.

The teenagers turned to face each other, confused. "Do you have any idea what's going on here?" Videl asked, knowing that, if weird stuff happened, that Gohan was probably going to have more of a chance of understanding than her.

To her dismay, he shook his head. "I don't understand it at all. Nothing's making any sense," he confessed. "Obviously, there was something wrong with those two men before. And they somehow managed to drain my energy…but _why_?"

"Well, that guy said that he would explain while you followed the others," Videl said, looking at the spot where all Gohan's friends had previously been. "They must've begun flying somewhere too, and we've got to follow him."

"All right," Gohan nodded. "But _we_ aren't following him Videl."

This stopped Videl right in her tracks. "What?" she demanded, looking at him with shock clearly written on her features.

Gohan hated to say this, but he knew that it was the right thing now. "Videl, you can't come with me," he told her. "This could get really, really dangerous, and I don't want you to get hurt again. You've got to stay here."

She huffed in indignation. "I am _not_ staying here," she told him, glaring at him. "I wanna know what happened back there, too. And you think that I'm just going to _stay_ like a _coward_?"

"No, Videl, I just want you to be safe," Gohan tried to explain. It was then that Videl was able to read the emotion in his eyes—it was the same look that he had when he had believed that she might've drowned in the lake, the same look of concern on his features. Seeing that made her lighten up, made her understand slightly why he wanted her to stay behind.

"Hey, how about this: if things get too dangerous, I'll turn back right away," she offered, making a compromise, before she crossed her arms and added indignantly, "And, even if you say no, I'll still follow you, so _there_!"

Knowing that he was only wasting time, and also knowing that Videl _would_ follow him even if he didn't want her to come, he sighed and agreed. "All right, but you have to promise to turn back if things get really bad," he told her.

"I promise," she replied instantly.

"All right, then; ready?" he asked as he began to float in the air. Videl followed his lead and nodded.

With that, the two teens blasted away, leaving behind a completely stunned crowd who was just as confused as they were.

Eventually, they managed to catch up to Kibito, who seemed to have been waiting for them. Without another word, they all blasted off even faster, and Kibito began to tell his tale.

It turned out that Shin, his master, was the Lord of Lords, which was the highest possible ranking for someone of divine status to have. However, a very, very long time ago, there had been _five_ Lords of Lords, but Shin was the last surviving one. The other four had been killed by a monster accidentally created by an evil warlock; the warlock known as Bibidi was the one who had unintentionally created Majin Buu, a monster with the ability to destroy the entire universe.

Yeah, that was _totally_ normal. However, Videl didn't say anything—she would believe everything and anything now, based on the things she'd seen, so she didn't interrupt his seemingly completely unbelievable and total bullshit story, and allowed Gohan to do the question-asking, because she wasn't sure if she would make some snarky comment.

"So, what happened? Was Majin Buu defeated?" Gohan asked Kibito.

He nodded. "In a way, yes," the pink/red-skinned man replied. "Bibidi eventually was unable to control him, so he used a special spell that sealed away Majin Buu within a small cocoon, which has lain dormant for a very, very long time, here on Earth, where Majin Buu had been planning to destroy next. Bibidi was soon killed by my master, and we thought that the whole situation was under control, and that Majin Buu would never come back once again, since Bibidi was the only one who knew the spell that would release Majin Buu from his prison.

"However, something unexpected came up recently, something that we had no idea would happen. It turns out that Bibidi had a son, and the warlock, Babidi, is just as evil as his father was before him. He had learned that the shell holding Majin Buu was here on Earth, so he came here and was determined to resurrect the monster."

"But didn't you say that Majin Buu had gotten out of control when Bibidi had first made him?" Gohan wondered aloud. "Why would Babidi want to resurrect that thing?"

"Babidi wants what almost every villain wants—complete and utter domination of the universe, and he will use anything to get what he wants," Kibito answered gravely. "Remember those men back at the tournament, the two who stole your energy? Originally, they were unable to fly and create energy blasts, but they have been possessed by Babidi, which makes the warlock even more dangerous. Even though he lacks in physical strength, the power that he has over magic is unimaginable. He can take over the evil in one's heart, and then manipulate them so that they are in his control. It's how he gained control over Spopovich and Yamu, and because of his possession, they gained more power than they had before."

"Why'd they take my energy, though?" Gohan asked, viciously reminded of Cell, who had absorbed other people's energy to become stronger. He forced the memories back, looking at Kibito, who answered instantly.

"Babidi needs a sufficient amount of energy to hope to resurrect Majin Buu once more—it's the only reason why he wanted Spopovich and Yamu to enter the tournament, to gain energy from the people there. When they felt your power after you transformed, they came running to absorb it, and we needed them to take what they wanted so that our plan could continue."

"So that's why you just _stood_ there and watched as they nearly _killed_ Gohan?" Videl suddenly snapped, irked that the extremely old man could've helped Gohan but hadn't. Her eyes stung from how fast she was going as the wind forced them closed. "All because of this _plan_ that you had?"

"We had no idea where Babidi's ship was," Kibito answered with a slight growl at her. "It was necessary for them to take his energy, so that we could follow them as they went back to their master's ship, and try to stop Majin Buu from coming back once more."

She didn't seem satisfied with this answer, but when she saw the look that Gohan gave her, conveying silently that everything was all right, she didn't comment, simply flying as Kibito continued to explain the situation. Shin had gone ahead with Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, and Krillin, and they were following Spopovich and Yamu back to Babidi's spaceship. It was then that Videl began to fall back, struggling to keep up with the speed at which Gohan and Kibito were traveling at.

Sharply, Kibito said, "We must move faster, we won't be able to catch up with them at this pace."

Seeing that Videl was lagging behind, Gohan cast her a quick glance, before looking at Kibito. "Fine, just give me a second," he said, and Kibito nodded, though he seemed slightly annoyed at this.

Gohan fell back as well, flying so that he was now going at Videl's pace. "Hey, how're you holding up back here, Videl?" he asked her.

"Gohan, I can barely keep my eyes open, and this is the fastest I can go," she replied honestly, blinking back the tears that the wind was causing to form in her eyes from how fast she was going.

"I'm sure that you're eyes just have to adjust to the wind," Gohan told her nonchalantly.

"No, Gohan…" She hated admitting this, but she knew that things were becoming way too dangerous, and that she would be getting in over her head if she insisted on joining them. "I have to turn back, this is way out of my league. I heard that guy, he said that you have to go faster to catch up to them, but this is my limit. I have to go back…"

"I think that's a good idea," Gohan said quietly. Coming from anyone else, Videl would've taken that as an insult; but coming from him, it was understandable. He didn't want her to get hurt once more, and he was obviously much stronger than her.

"Gohan…I need to know something," Videl suddenly said, scrutinizing him with her blue eyes.

"All right, what is it?" he asked, looking at her, unsure about what she needed to know.

"…You really _are_ the Gold Fighter, right?" she said softly.

At that, Gohan stiffened a bit, before letting out a sigh. Everyone had seen him transform, he couldn't lie about it now. "Yes, it's me," he admitted. "I'm sorry that I lied to you about it…"

"Hey, it's OK, I get it," Videl told him reassuringly. "So all that stuff…the hair turning blond and eyes changing color and everything…it's real, right? They're not just tricks."

Gohan nodded in reply.

"So…seven years ago, with the whole thing with Cell…" Videl's voice became quieter, as she mulled things over in her head. "Your friends were all there at the Cell Games, right? And you were that little boy who they said was the water boy?"

Damn, she had clicked things together very quickly. Letting out another sigh, Gohan closed his eyes, nodding once more. "Yes, they were my friends, and that was me," he whispered softly, forcing back the terrible memories that the Cell Games brought back to him.

He opened his eyes to see that Videl was smiling at him a bit. "So…it wasn't my dad who beat Cell, right? It was you guys."

Gohan hesitated for a few moments, unsure about how she was going to take this, before he sighed and nodded in affirmation. "Yeah, I killed Cell," he told her, deciding to tell her the full truth about what happened at the Cell Games now.

She looked at him, her smile turning thoughtful. "I knew there was something strange about the story my dad gave," she told him. "I mean, he was just an ordinary martial artist, and then suddenly becoming the savior of the world? It was even a bit much for _me_ to believe…well, at least I know the truth now. Go and be the damned hero again, and save the world," she said playfully, smiling at him gently, before she lightly smirked. "But you still have plenty of explaining to do, Gohan Son."

He let out a slightly nervous laugh in return. "Yeah, I know that I do," he agreed. "I promise, I'll tell you everything when I get back."

At that, Videl suddenly began to slow down, her face having an unreadable emotion on it, the teasing smirk vanishing from her face. Concerned at the sudden change of mood, Gohan slowed down, too. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked her, and she stopped flying abruptly at that. Gohan followed suit, so that they were now hovering in front of each other.

"Gohan…" Videl said quietly, looking at him intensely with her amazingly dark blue eyes, as deep as the sea before a storm. "You…you have to promise me that you'll come back."

Gohan understood why she had reacted that way, and wasn't sure if he should give her the truth, or tell her what she wanted to hear. "Videl…I can't exactly promise anything as of now, because I have no idea what's going to happen—"

"Dammit, Gohan, I don't care!" she nearly shouted in his face, desperation clearly shown on her features. "Please, I have to know that you're coming back, you have to promise me that you will! I can't…Gohan, you're one of my best friends…one of my only true friends…I can't…I cant…" She couldn't what? She couldn't lose him? She wouldn't feel the same if he didn't come back? She was unable to put anything in words, but Gohan seemed to be able to understand without her having to tell him anything. It was one of the good things about Gohan—while most males wouldn't be able to pick up hints that ladies would drop, often needing things explained to them straight up, Gohan was slightly more empathetic and more understanding.

"Hey, Videl," he said gently, and Videl suddenly refused to meet his gaze, looking anywhere else but his dark eyes. Gently, he reached his gloved hand out, which was lightly stained with the blood that he had shed before, having turned a crusty brown color because it had dried, and cupped her cheek softly in his hand, bringing her face so that she had to look at him, her blue eyes making contact with his onyx ones. His hand was slightly under her jaw, his thumb now brushing her cheek.

"I promise that I'll come back," he vowed quietly. "I have too many things here that I can't leave behind, like my mother and brother…and you, Videl. I won't leave you behind." He gently ran his hand through her soft, short black hair, while she continued to look at him with her intense blue gaze.

"You promise? Cross your heart?" she whispered quietly, knowing that she sounded like a little girl now but honestly not caring.

Gohan managed a small smile, now gently cupping her under the chin with his index finger, his thumb now resting on her chin gently instead of on her cheek, so that their gazes didn't waved. "Cross my heart," he said softly. "I promise that I'll come back for you, Videl."

Hearing the sincerity in his voice, Videl nodded slightly, now reassured that he was going to return. Gohan didn't break promises, that much she knew.

"Thanks," she murmured, smiling the slightest bit at him now. He nodded, and it seemed as if he was getting ready to fly away, removing his hand from her face, but she made a split second decision and reached out for his hand quickly before he blasted off.

Feeling her gentle touch on his hand, Gohan turned around to look at her, still smiling slightly. "Is something wrong?" he asked, to make sure that nothing was wrong before he flew off. If there was, he wanted to amend it as quickly as possible, so that he wouldn't dwell on it during the battle that surely was looming on the horizon.

She looked intensely into his onyx eyes, shaking her head only the slightest bit. "Just wanted to say…good luck," she mumbled, before she quickly acted before she would lose her nerve.

She then reached her head up and planted a quick, gentle kiss on his pale cheek.

Videl pulled away, and saw that Gohan was staring at her, as if though he was in a trance, simply looking deep into her eyes. She squeezed his hand slightly, offering him a small, halfhearted smile, still not believing what she had just done, and it was obvious that Gohan didn't believe it either. It wasn't as if he was complaining or anything, however, and could almost feel the softness of her lips still on his cheek, as soft as the caress of a flower…

"Be safe, Gohan," she whispered quietly, squeezing his hand once more. "I'll be waiting back with everyone else for you, OK?"

Still seeming as if he was in a slight daze, Gohan nodded numbly. "OK," he replied, and, when Videl let go of his hand, he slowly began to fly away from her, reaching up to touch his cheek gently with his fingertips, the exact spot where her lips had touched his skin. He was in a trance of disbelief, still able to feel the velvety touch of her lips on his cheek, before he quickly snapped himself out of it and began to fly over to Kibito, who had slowed down so much that it seemed as if he was barely moving.

As Gohan flew out of human earshot, Videl looked at his retreating form, seeing his face as he smiled gently at her, the intensity and yet softness of his amazing obsidian eyes. And she let a small smile grace her features as she realized something, something that suddenly seemed so obvious to her now, that she had constantly been denying but that she had subconsciously known for quite a long time, finally having the guts to admit it to herself.

"Gohan…" she said to herself, smirking a bit. "When you come back…I'm going to ask you out!" she announced, finally admitting aloud that, yes, she was attracted to Gohan Son, the Great Saiyaman and the Gold Fighter, that she _liked_ him. She made her decision: if he didn't ask her out when he came back, then she would ask him, taking charge.

Gohan eventually reached Kibito, and the two blasted quickly away, leaving until they were nothing more than mere specks in the distance. She watched them fly away with awe, marveling at their speed. Then, she smiled a bit more, finding it very hard to stop smiling lightly now as she began to fly back to the Tournament, thinking about a certain black-haired, dark-eyed teenager with the ability to transform into an angel, which reflected his personality. She shook her head slightly as she grinned some more, surprised that her mind had came up with that, but it had been accurate. And Gohan had promised that he'd come back to her, so he left with considerably lifted spirits.

Little did she know that, when she had announced that she would ask Gohan out, that he had been out of hearing distance for a _human_, but not exactly for a Saiyan. His more acute senses picked up those words, and Gohan found himself stopping short, faltering the slightest bit, before he had gone back up to Kibito.

"Have you finished?" Kibito asked gruffly.

Gohan nodded numbly, his fingers still lightly touching the spot where Videl had kissed him, still mulling over the words that she had spoken when she believed him out of hearing distance.

And, with that, they had blasted away, leaving Videl behind.

While they were busy catching up to the others, who had been a considerable distance ahead of them, Gohan didn't speak to Kibito, his mind still trying to make sense of what had happened in the past minute or two. Her gently kissing his cheek, and then announcing that she would ask him out…the worry for him in her dark blue eyes, the slight fear that she might not see him again…

It had been so obvious, staring him right in the face, and it was as if he was seeing the sun for the first time as he had an internal epiphany. Because, yes, he did care for Videl…he _liked_ her. She was the first girl he'd ever felt this way towards…

His features changed from that of someone who has just had a revelation into a small, bright grin. Well, if Videl really wanted to go on a date with him, he wouldn't exactly object…he resolved to ask her out once they got this out of the way.

It was a thought and a revelation that would keep a smile on his face for quite some time.

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**I really enjoyed typing the end of this chapter :D. Next chapter is gonna be the intense and super sad one, I think you guys already know what's gonna happen next. I mean, as I said, I am not going to go through _everything_ in the Buu saga, that's why we saw the anime :) I'm only gonna do what mainly focuses on Gohan and Videl, or really important and emotional things, like Goku coming back in the last chapter and stuff, so I'm not gonna repeat the whole thing.**

**Also, I have noticed that this story has quite a few favorites and follows. Please, if you have favorited or followed this story, may you please review it? I really like hearing what you guys have to say about this, and sometimes I get inspiration for what to do for the next chapter based on reviews that I received. Also, getting reviews makes me feel super duper happy, and also might prod me to update faster—once again, Cottoncandy101 threatened me with a rock if I didn't update, so yeah XD**

**Anyways, hope that you guys liked! Please review, thank you all so much for reading! :D**


	8. Agony, Grief, and Love

**Hey, everyone, thanks for all the considerate and sweet reviews! You have no idea how much they mean to me, and, as a present, here's a really fast update! :D But please, guys, may you please review if you've favorited or followed my story? I would really appreciate it if you did, and I thank the couple of you that did that for the last chapter, it means a lot to me, and I cherish each and every one of the reviews that you drop me for this story. Reviews tell me how I'm doing and how I can possibly improve to become a better writer, because I really want to become an actual published author someday :D. Anywho, that's all I wanted to say. I think there's only one more chapter left of the Buu saga after this one, and then we get into the fun stuff! Oh, I have so many plans…XD**

**And just thought that I should mention that a lovely reviewer named SierraLarson actually gave me an idea of what to do in this chapter, but I won't say anything currently and let you read. And thank you, SierraLarson, for the idea! You know what it is! :)**

**Well, hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it.**

* * *

So many things had happened in such a short period of time that Videl was, in all honesty, simply quite lost and confused.

As she had been heading back to the Tournament, she had run into Goten and Trunks, and, when asked what was going on, she had told them everything that Kibito had told her and Gohan. Instead of reacting in fear, as one would expect, they seemed excited, and instantly honed in on Gohan's ki and began to fly after him, despite Videl's protests. Letting out a sigh of aggravation, she had continued on her way, since the boys were much too fast for her to follow, and she also had a feeling that they would be fine, based on the match that she had seen between them earlier.

Eventually, she had reached the others back at the stadium, where everyone seemed very shaken up about something that had happened—Videl caught sight of the actual Bulma Briefs, but she wasn't acting as she had believed that someone like her should be; Bulma had been gripping the railing tightly, her sky-blue eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at the stadium, shocked, while the man behind her, who Videl recognized as Yamcha, the pro baseball player, tried to somehow comfort her. She looked down at the ring and the area around it, and had seen that there were parts of the seats that had seemed to have been simply blasted away. Shocked, she had spoken to the only person that she knew slightly—Chi-Chi had quickly informed Videl of what had happened before she had shown up, and Videl listened attentively. Then, she had told the others what she had learned from Kibito, and they all listened to her in turn.

Then, one of them came up with the suggestion of gathering the Dragon Balls (Chi-Chi explained this concept to a very skeptical Videl, who didn't believe that there was such a thing as seven magical balls granting wishes but didn't question things now), and it seemed as if this broke the odd state that Bulma had been in. She shook her head, running her hand through her aqua/blue hair, nodding.

They had then gathered all seven of the Dragon Balls, the process easily sped up because of the Dragon Radar that Bulma had invented. On their way to collect one of the Dragon Balls, however, Bulma had suddenly gasped, bringing a hand to her heart in shock, her blue eyes widening suddenly. When asked what was wrong by Yamcha, she had quickly shrugged it off as nothing, but she looked out the window once more. What had that terrible, foreboding feeling been, the feeling of agony that gripped her heart suddenly? All she knew was that something happened…something that involved Vegeta…but _what_? The horrible feeling within her heart did not bode well, and brought fears that she would rather not imagine to her mind.

After they had gathered the last Dragon Ball, they had all headed back to Capsule Corporation. Then, the Eternal Dragon, Shenron, was summoned from the Dragon Balls, and Videl could only look in awe at the magical creature. Holy crap, it was _huge_, and it spoke in a booming voice that seemed to shake the very Earth, illuminated even more brightly because the sky had suddenly gone dark when it was summoned. Bulma had pondered on what to wish for, and Yamcha finally ended up wishing for everyone who had died today to come back to life.

Barely a few seconds after that wish had been granted, Goku suddenly appeared before them, scaring Videl half to death from his sudden appearance. Hastily, he had said something that had made the dragon disappear and the Dragon Balls fly away in different directions. When asked what was going on, Goku didn't reply, and simply told everyone to group together so that he could teleport them to the Lookout.

Teleporting was the weirdest feeling. It was almost as if she was there, and then suddenly, her body felt like it dematerialized and then suddenly rematerialized in a beautiful, small, circular area, with a perfectly white tiled floor, polished to a shine, and a lovely setting of plants that led up to something that seemed like a palace—this must've been the "Lookout" or whatever the hell it was called.

Goku had then begun to talk, but Videl hadn't been listening, all of the shock of the past few hours finally catching up with her. Learning about Majin Buu, and then learning about magical balls that summed a huge-ass _dragon_ that granted wishes, and everything in between had Videl slightly frazzled and bewildered.

"Yes, that's all very nice, Goku," Chi-Chi suddenly interrupted her dead husband—it seemed that she was slightly preoccupied with something, looking around. "Now, where did you say Goten and Gohan are?" She had been half-listening to what Goku had been saying, her pale features searching for her sons all around the Lookout, hoping to catch sight of one of her children.

"And where's my Trunks…and Vegeta?" Bulma also asked, looking at her lifelong friend for a brief moment before she resumed her search for her boys.

Videl saw Krillin have a weird reaction to their questions—he was holding his daughter, Marron in his arms, and his face suddenly became panicked as he held onto his little girl even tighter. Marron looked at her daddy with confused brown eyes, and Eighteen was also slightly wondering what would have her husband so panicked and nervous as she looked at Goku, along with everyone else.

"Goku, where are my sons?" Chi-Chi repeated, looking straight into Goku's black eyes with her own dark brown ones, looking directly at her husband. There was no trace of the grin that always seemed to linger on his face; his expression was grave, serious, and it was an expression that Videl did not like at all.

After gentle encouragement from Krillin, Goku took a deep breath, before he began to speak, his voice holding no hints of joking around or jovialness that always somehow managed to work its way into his voice, his tone deadly serious. "What I have to tell you…isn't easy for me to say," he began, making eye contact with everyone on the Lookout unflinchingly. It seemed as if he had to steady himself, before he continued, his voice still strong, unwavering, and grave. "Goten and Trunks are both going to be perfectly fine. But…Gohan and Vegeta…are dead."

Shock. It was the only emotion that would register at the moment; Videl let out a small cry that she hadn't meant to escape from her mouth, and Bulma and Chi-Chi both gasped in pure horror, all three of the women seemingly rendered speechless.

"Majin Buu…destroyed them both," Goku finished, his tone holding true regret in it as he averted his gaze from them, looking at the floor.

Videl suddenly seemed to regain her voice, and instantly, she retorted with denial, because Gohan was the strongest person that she knew and he couldn't be dead he just couldn't it was completely impossible for him to be dead— "No, Gohan, he can't be…he just _can't_!" she choked out, unable to believe that he was…that he was…

_"You look really pretty when you smile."_

His voice seemed to suddenly echo in her ears, those words that he had spoken to her the second day that she had been learning how to fly, the comment that he made when she had smiled genuinely at him. It was almost as if he was there, saying those words in her ear, while she vehemently refused to believe what Goku had just said.

Chi-Chi couldn't believe that her precious, firstborn baby boy was dead, that her son was gone. The agony that she felt was like nothing that she had ever experienced before, for she had never truly lost a child before, and she couldn't take it—she fainted from the pure shock and horror, and her father managed to catch her before she hit the hard tiles, yelling out her name and cradling her in his large arms.

Bulma's beautiful blue eyes began to well up with tears ad Goku's words began to set in. Her husband, her lover, her friend, her proud, stubborn, arrogant, cocky, and determined Saiyan prince…was dead. Gone. She would never be able to lay eyes on his handsome, stoic features once again, never be able to discern the emotions that flickered in the depths of his bottomless onyx eyes…he was gone.

"Vegeta…" she whispered, her voice breaking as she bit her trembling lip, her tears beginning to fall from her eyes, unable to hold them back any longer. But it was nearly impossible to believe that he, the survivor, the one who managed to pull through everything had somehow…

Agony suddenly ripped through her being, and the pain and hurt suddenly hit her with such force that it seemed as if she couldn't breathe for a moment, lungs compressing and heart seeming to stop for a second; then, Bulma was unable to contain it anymore, and screamed.

"_NOOOOOOOOOOO!_ VEGETA!" she cried out in anguish, throwing her head back as vicious sobs wracked her body, tears flowing freely down her cheeks from her pain, her knees just about giving out. Before she could collapse on the floor, however, she felt a pair of strong, slightly calloused hands grip her by the upper arms, holding her steady while she sobbed uncontrollably. Vainly, she struggled to get out of the person's grip, screaming and shrieking like an untamed beast as the tears poured relentlessly down her face, not withholding any of her emotion because it hurt so _much_—

"Bulma, you've gotta pull yourself together," the familiar voice of Yamcha said behind Bulma, his voice gentle, not trying to be cruel. However, it was the wrong choice of words, the wrong thing to say at the moment as Bulma's sobs escalated so much that she could barely breathe. He didn't understand, he would never possibly understand the pure, undiluted agony that she was feeling at the moment, because her soul mate, her true love, her _Vegeta_ was somehow _dead_. She struggled to get out of her ex-boyfriend's grip, sobs and cries of heartbreak escaping from her petite form, gasping for breath as she tried to somehow claw herself away from him because he didn't understand and he would only make it worse and Vegeta would somehow know how to make it better—but he wouldn't be able to do that anymore because he was dead—she wasn't sure if she'd ever see him again—and it seemed as if her heart and her life were suddenly shattered into a million pieces, because Vegeta wasn't there anymore—and she might not ever see him again even when _she_ died—

Another scream tore from her throat, and the single word that she uttered seemed to contain all of the sadness and grief of a lifetime; the scream that only comes from the anguish of losing the one that you truly loved in your life; the shriek of simply pure, untainted grief and agony at losing your soul mate; the scream of denial that the unbelievable has just happened, that your life has just been seemingly destroyed, holding all of the sadness and anguish of the world in one syllable, one single cry of pure misery, of agony:

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**_

Videl's own shock seemed to somehow numb her to her surroundings—Bulma's wails of anguish at times seemed to be muffled out, and other times they were just as piercing as they were in reality. She had seen Yamcha try to comfort his former girlfriend, had heard the anguish in Bulma's voice, had seen the pure flash of grief that had flashed across Chi-Chi's face before she had collapsed from shock and pure agony, but it was all slightly distant, as if it was happening in another lifetime, or as if it was someone else's experience and she was simply in their body for the time being.

All Videl could see at the moment was Gohan, at times only hearing his voice, the gentle, soft voice somehow sometimes drowning out the screams of agony coming from the completely heartbroken blue-haired woman.

_"Don't you trust me?"_

A feeling of pure, cold dread gripped her heart. What if it was true? What if Goku was speaking the truth, and Gohan really was…somehow…gone? But…but…he couldn't be! He just…he couldn't! He seemed to be the only person in the world who she could really open up to besides Erasa, the only one who she truly trusted with all of her heart, knowing that he would keep secrets, that he would keep her safe and not allow harm to come to her if he had anything to say about it…

_"Cross my heart. I promise that I'll come back for you, Videl."_

He'd promised that he'd come back to her, and Gohan didn't break promises. He was honorable like that, the type of person that one could put their full trust in, and she absolutely refused to believe that he'd just said meaningless words to her, because he'd meant it, she knew it. He'd promised.

But…hadn't someone once said that promises were only made to be broken?

No. No, he didn't break his promises, because Gohan wasn't like that. He was sweet, he was smart, he was funny, he was caring, he was gentle and yet strong at the same time, he was sometimes completely clueless on how to deal with his peers, he was _Gohan_, and he did _not_ break promises.

_"You have a lot of traits that are just for _you_ that people would like. I mean, you're strong, you're brave, you're pretty, you're independent, you're confident, you don't give up, you're talented, and you're…special, individual in your own way. There's never gonna be another person like you, ever."_

It was almost as if Gohan was speaking those words then and there, as if he was right next to her and gently talking to her, his warm, gentle voice seeming to caress over her frazzled nerves, because he always managed to somehow calm her down. He was one of the only people she knew who would compliment her so…_honestly_ like that, without the slightest trace of embarrassment until after he'd spoken the words. He had listened to her, had seemed to understand her even more than anyone else had ever before, had been the first person to reach her after Spopovich had dropped her out of the ring, had been the one who picked her up in his arms and carried her to the hospital, had stood by her bedside, holding her hand as he gently fed her his ki to take away some of her pain, had postponed his match just so that he could give her that special bean that healed her instantly, had promised that he'd come back for her…

He was the strongest person that she had ever met…and he was dead? She felt an odd prickling near her eyes, feeling heat and moisture beginning to gather in them unintentionally as the shock gave way to the pure horror of the situation. Goku's serious face showed that he wasn't joking; the grief in his ebony eyes was far too real to not have been telling the truth.

Her eyes continued to burn with her unshed tears, but she forced them back because no, she wouldn't cry because Gohan just…he couldn't be dead…he couldn't, he wasn't…he…

_"Your eyes sparkle when you smile, did you know that?"_

And that was what did it, and suddenly, the fact that Gohan was dead hit her like a sharp slap to the face, and she suddenly seemed to feel a burning agony within her chest, as if her heart had suddenly been torn to ribbons. Silent tears had begun to make their way down her cheeks, having escaped from her eyes, as she realized that he was gone. But it seemed impossible…but, nevertheless, it was true.

"How…can this be?" she croaked out, the pain so intense that it felt as if she was unable to function for a moment, the mere act of getting breath into her lungs seeming to be a task that was too hard for her body for a second, her heart struggling to beat. "I…" She trailed off, and then suddenly realized with a fresh burst of raw grief the true depth of her feelings for Gohan that suddenly seemed to be so obvious now. The young man who was kind, gentle, strong, honest…why hadn't she noticed it until now? _How_ had she not realized this, not understood the painfully obvious? Why didn't she tell him before?

"I…I love him…" she whispered, her voice suddenly breaking. His name left her lips in a tear-filled, anguished whisper, her voice hoarse with her tears as she realized just too late that she had loved the boy, regretting the fact that she hadn't had the chance to tell him, that they hadn't been given time. "Gohan…"

After that, she was unable to speak anymore, because her grief suddenly overwhelmed her with such intensity that she broke down into vicious sobs, placing her face in her hands at the loss of Gohan. She didn't care that other people were there—everyone else was grieving, too. She didn't care what anyone else would say if they saw her now, crying, showing the utmost sign of weakness. It didn't matter now. Nothing did. No one outside of this little group would truly know that she had broken down because of the loss of a boy.

But Gohan wasn't just _any_ boy. He was kind and gentle, and also strong, and he was honest, and pure, and cared so much for his family, especially for his little brother…and he had been someone to look at Videl for who she was, not simply based on her parentage. He was unique, special, one-of-a-kind.

And she loved him, she knew that now.

The tears just didn't seem to stop as she continued to cry into her palms, sobbing almost uncontrollably now as the news began to truly take root in her. She might not ever see him again…and she hadn't even been able to tell him how she truly felt about him. She would never be able to see his smiling face once more, never be able to hear his voice again…

It was too much to bear as she continued to sob, hiding her face from view, nearly choking on her breath because she was crying so much, barely even able to breathe any more. But it hurt too much—she never knew that a pain like this existed, an emotional pain that was so strong that it seemed to override anything that she had felt before, and suddenly, being beaten by Spopovich didn't seem to hurt nearly as much as the fact that Gohan was dead.

Why hadn't the world fallen apart? Why were people continuing their lives, completely oblivious to the fact that _Gohan_ _was_ _dead_? _How_ could life continue since he was gone?

Gohan was dead. The world had just about ended, had collapsed around her completely as the fact that the boy that she now realized that she truly loved was _gone_. She couldn't believe it, didn't want to believe it. And yet…the pure anguish that had flashed across Chi-Chi's face before she had passed out from the pure wave of overpowering emotions that had hit her when she had heard from her husband that her son was dead…it cemented the fact that he was gone.

Gohan was dead. A fresh wave of sobs wracked her petite frame, her mind unable to fathom life without him, because the world had ended because he was dead. And yet, it hadn't. Why?

Gohan was dead.

And her life suddenly seemed to be torn into pieces, ruthlessly severed, because he was gone. She tried to control herself, somehow trying to stop her crying; most people would believe that, since she was such an emotionally strong girl, that she would get a grip.

But even the toughest of people had feelings, and Videl Satan was unable to accept the fact that Gohan was gone, too much for her to handle, too much for her to possibly believe. And yet, she had somehow accepted it with a terrible sinking feeling within her body, her heart ripped in two.

Gohan was dead. Even more tears poured from her eyes…and, when it seemed that she had gained slight control over the tears, she would be viciously reminded of Gohan once more, seeing his smiling face and kind, dark, intoxicating obsidian eyes, or when he was the Gold Fighter, his shining blond hair and completely mesmerizing and unearthly solid turquoise orbs…and the sobs would suddenly renew themselves with a vengeance.

Time meant nothing to her as of now. It could've been seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and she didn't feel a difference, was unable to feel anything but the terrible numbness that sometimes came, only to be replaced by agonizing, ripping anguish. She continued to cry heartbrokenly, sobbed until she could barely breathe, until her voice grew raw and her eyes itched terribly from how many tears she'd shed. And, even when she had believed that she had cried herself out, she was once again reminded of Gohan, the boy that she loved…

And it seemed as if she was truly unable to ever run out of tears.

* * *

Pain.

Everything hurt. Pain overrode everything, so that nothing else was felt but pain, agony.

It hurt to move. Even the simplest twitch of his fingers was absolutely agonizing.

It hurt to breathe. Each shaky rising and falling of his chest, each time his lungs drew oxygen in and caused carbon dioxide to leave, seemed to take very last ounce of energy that he had.

It hurt to _live_.

Why was he still alive? How had he not died yet, because of the agony that was coursing through his system, the blood that was steadily pooling around him from various wounds, the pain that it caused his lungs simply to breathe? He felt like dying. He wanted to die.

So why wasn't he dead?

Majin Buu had been completely out of his league. Even though it had seemed to be nothing more than an obese, living, breathing piece of bubblegum with the mental capacity of a two-year-old, the monster had been insanely powerful. He had been unable to do any damage to the pink freak.

He'd tried to stop it from resurrecting by doing everything he could, firing energy beams at the cocoon that held the monster, even using his father's most powerful and signature move, the Kamehameha, on the shell. He thought that he'd killed it. And then the smoke had manifested into Majin Buu.

He'd tried to fight Majin Buu, but the monster was just as powerful as Kibito and Shin had forewarned him. At the thought of Kibito, he hazily remembered that Dabura, the demon king, had killed him, simply blasting the pink-skinned man in the face, and had turned Krillin and Piccolo to stone by spitting on them…

Even more people died because of him. Because he was too damned weak.

He and Shin had managed to survive, but just barely. After trying to make a quick getaway with the Supreme Kai, the monster had suddenly appeared in front of him, and, with almost childlike enthusiasm, had taken him out with one hit. He hadn't been expecting it, and had been stunned for a few minutes, leaving the Lord of Lords defenseless. He had gotten back up, however, and engaged Majin Buu in combat.

He never stood a chance.

After a few blows were dealt, with which Gohan seemed to be not hurting the monster at all and with each and every hit coming from the pink blob seeming to either break something or tear his skin, causing his clothes to tear even more and more blood to spill on his clothes, which were already caked lightly with blood because of the energy drain of Spopovich and Yamu and his fight with Dabura, Majin Buu had seemed to be bored, and had executed a powerful energy blast at him.

Then, he was falling, and he had landed here, in a forest, where he was dying, barely clinging to life.

But why was he still alive? It hurt just to simply _function_—every shuddering beat of his heart seemed to take every ounce of energy that he had left. His lungs ached with effort as he breathed, and he could still feel the slightly metallic taste of blood upon his tongue from when he had coughed some up after he had received a fierce blow to the stomach, could feel it drying on his torn up clothing from his open wounds.

It hurt to think so much, hurt to remember everything that had happened in the span of a few hours. He didn't want to remember. He didn't want to see the shock on Kibito's face when Dabura suddenly appeared in front of him and smirked before blasting him into oblivion, didn't want to see Krillin and Piccolo suddenly freeze and become cold stone statues, didn't want to see Vegeta suddenly become possessed by Babidi, didn't want to see the slightly crazed and insane look in the suddenly heartless jade-green eyes, a look that hadn't been in the prince's eyes for many years, not since he'd been under Frieza's servitude…

Why wasn't he dead? He wanted death, because it seemed so much better than what he was currently in now, in pain in every single nerve in his body, struggling to breathe in and out. Why was he still clinging to life, his grip slightly loosening with each passing second but still maintaining a valiant hold on life, on keeping his heart beating, keeping his brain functioning?

Faces began to appear slowly in Gohan's mind, seeming to form behind his closed eyelids. A warm, motherly face, with dark black hair often pulled up into a bun, rarely let down except when she was sleeping, dark brown eyes that were stern but also caring and gentle, having the spark of a fighter within their depths. His mother.

An innocent, slightly cherubic face, still slightly pudgy with baby fat even though the rest of his body was beginning to be packed with muscle, with wide, innocent and happy eyes, haphazard black spikes for hair that was exactly the same as his father's, and trusting, friendly, loving onyx orbs. His little brother. Goten.

That's why he was still living. His mother and brother. They needed him, and he'd promised to never leave them; he'd promised to take care of his mother after his father had sacrificed himself in the fruitless attempt to kill Cell, had vowed to watch over his little brother the moment that he first laid eyes on the baby's form.

Other faces also made their way to the front of his mind—the aqua/blue hair, pale, delicate features, and shining, caring, bright blue eyes of Bulma, the woman who was almost like an older sister and an aunt to him; the noseless, friendly face of Krillin, his father's best friend; the serious lines on Piccolo's green face, the smirk that he sometimes wore around Gohan, showing that he was proud of his student; Trunks, with his lavender hair and bright blue eyes from his mother's side, but the tanned skin and exact same facial features from his father, wearing a mischievous smirk so akin to the elder Saiyan prince that it was uncanny; even Vegeta, with his regal features and onyx eyes which were slightly cold and haughty, showing his superiority—Gohan had the oddest feeling that the Vegeta that Babidi had awakened wasn't the real Vegeta, not the one that he knew, and was the reason why the Saiyan prince's face had also appeared behind Gohan's lids. Even the faces of Sharpener and Erasa, the two blondes smiling at him, seemed to materialize.

And one other person's face came to the front of his mind…

Pale, slightly delicate and soft features, framed by short black hair that made the features on her face look even more feminine. Beautiful dark blue eyes that seemed to be as deep and unfathomable as the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean, easily able to become lost in, nearly drowning in their pools of endless, dark blue, eyes that always held the bright spark of spirit within them, either shining with determination, or with pride, even with fear for his wellbeing.

Videl…

Small moments suddenly appeared in his head, small, sporadic bits of time that had occurred between them, in no specific order. When he'd told her about his father, how she'd hugged him reassuringly and had allowed him to cry on her shoulder…watching the clouds and, as the day transitioned into night, the stars, trying to find shapes up in the sky…his reluctant and contented purrs as she gave him a soothing massage…vaguely hearing her scream his name through his own shouts of agony as Spopovich and Yamu had taken his energy…the fire that ignited in her eyes after she had asked him if he liked girls with short hair, before she'd yelled fiercely at him, telling him that she'd do whatever she wanted to with her hair…the pure surprise etched on her features when he'd forced her into the lake, pulling her wrist and catching her off guard…her blue eyes gazing into his gently, as he was mesmerized by those endless pools of blue as his eyes closed along with hers and their lips gently met…her quickly pecking his cheek, before announcing as he left that she was going to ask him out on a date…her voice, slightly pleading as she begged him to promise her that he would come back…

His mind suddenly vividly recalled the promise that he'd made to Videl. He'd promised her that he'd come back, for his mother and for his younger brother, and also for her.

That was why he was still alive. He couldn't break his promise to her; no matter how badly he simply wanted to die, he had to return, because he'd promised that he would. It was why his heart was still beating, why his lungs still gathered air even though it burned every fiber of his being to be doing so.

Seeing her face in her mind, her smile lighting up her delicate features and causing her eyes to twinkle, or seeming to hear her faint laugh, that sounded like the sweetest music to him when he was the one that was making her laugh, the way her eyes lit up even more…it all seemed to slightly take away his pain, making it the slightest bit more bearable. His heart didn't seem to struggle as much, and his lungs didn't feel like they were laboring as badly anymore as he thought of Videl, of her pretty face and of the gentility that sometimes shone in her eyes.

And then it hit Gohan like a ton of bricks. Well, taking his Saiyan strength into account, like quite a few well-placed punches from Majin Buu. He involuntarily let out a gasp, before his body instantly rebelled, screaming in pain as he twitched. However, he had been unable to help it, purely shocked as he realized the truth.

The true depth of his feelings for her went much deeper than friendship or simple attraction. He couldn't think of any other reason to describe some of the behaviors that he had exhibited towards her, why he had sometimes acted the way he had. Why he had quietly asked her not to scare him half to death again, because if something happened to her while he was there to protect her, he would never forgive himself; why he had become so enraged when Spopovich had brutally beaten her, a temporary animal seeming to suddenly take over his being; why he suddenly seemed to draw comfort from her, remembering the way that she looked, and the scent that had always lingered on her skin, like a hint of something flowery along with vanilla, something that he'd always unintentionally caught and had never truly realized until now, as his mind suddenly swarmed with memories of her…

He loved her.

It was the only explanation for his behaviors, the sole reason why he acted the way he did around Videl. It all made complete sense, and Gohan vaguely wondered why he'd never noticed it before. It was so blatantly obvious that Gohan simply felt like a complete idiot at the moment; it seemed as if he'd unintentionally known in his sub-consciousness, but hadn't truly seemed to notice it in his mind until now, and now that he had fully realized it, it was almost as if he had been stupid for not realizing before.

Suddenly, he knew that he had to tell her, had to somehow let her know that he loved her before he died, because he knew that he was dying but he was still alive, barely clinging on, his hold on life slipping ever-so-slightly with each passing second. But he couldn't die, he couldn't, he _wouldn't_, not before he was able to tell her his true feelings towards her.

He just needed to hold on for a little longer…but it hurt so much, and he was so tired, and it would be so much easier to just let everything go…every beat of his heart caused agony and seemed to be weakening, his lungs shaking even more…

But then, he thought of dark blue eyes, and suddenly, his heart seemed to beat slightly stronger, his lungs taking in another breath.

He couldn't die. Not yet. He _wouldn't_ die, not until he had told Videl how he truly felt about her. He wouldn't allow himself to escape into the inviting blackness that suddenly seemed to be consuming him, couldn't allow himself to just simply go into the darkness, because what if he never woke up again? He _had_ to stay alive. For his mother, his brother, his friends…and for the girl that he realized that he truly loved.

However, with all his determination, it seemed as if his body was finally beginning to fail on him—even with the thoughts of his family and friends, their faces seeming to take away the pain and reigniting the fire that burned within him, the fire that told him to _live_, he was unable to stop the flow of blood from his open wounds. Even as he thought of Videl, he still felt his grip on life grow even weaker and weaker, even though he vehemently told himself that he couldn't die…but he slowly began to grow colder and colder, the flow of blood seeping through his wounds seeming to be even warmer against his clothes and skin…

He felt small touches on his body, and he knew that the animals must have gathered around him, probably wondering why a bleeding, dying person was currently in the forest that they inhabited, having gotten over their initial fear of him simply crashing into their home. He felt a soft nose nuzzle into his black hair, felt tiny paws on his gloved hands, but it was growing slowly more numb…a small animal, probably a squirrel, scampered over his hand, but he didn't feel it as much as he had felt its paws on him before, and the gentle nose that was now softly touching his cheek, probably belonging to a deer, seemed to affect him less as if he wasn't able to feel anymore, and he was so cold…

It was then that he heard a vaguely familiar voice gasp out, calling his name in surprise, followed by a statement of pure relief from someone else. The second voice was…Shin? But wasn't he hurt also? How did he get over here?

And the first voice that had spoken…could that possibly have been Kibito? But wasn't he _dead_? He'd seen the pink-skinned man die right in front of his very eyes, had watched as Dabura had blown him to bits, and yet he was hearing his voice…maybe he had already died, and Kibito and Shin had come to greet him…

He faintly felt the animals scamper away from him, probably startled at the arrival of two other people. They might've been able to sense Gohan's gentility and how much he cared for animals, but they weren't sure about the other two newcomers. They were speaking, but Gohan wasn't able to tell what they were saying, their voices seeming to grow fainter…

Then, he felt a faint hand on his shoulder, and the odd sensation that had come with his father using Instant Transmission to teleport them somewhere came again, except it was much, much less pronounced than usual.

He was dying…but he couldn't die, not yet, he had to hold on…others were waiting for him, and he'd promised Videl that he would come back…

It was then that he felt a hand on his chest. Suddenly, he would feel his wounds closing up, seeming to stitch themselves together once more, and was suddenly regaining the ability to _feel_, the odd numbness that had begun to spread through his body suddenly leaving. His heart began to beat more strongly, his lungs more easily taking in air, and he could feel the blood pumping through his veins once more, and was able to assess his surroundings. The unbearable agony was going away, and he was able to feel the texture of the grass under his cheek, to feel the pressure of the hand on his chest. All the terrible feelings that had come to him before, of pain and unfeeling, had been replaced with healing and life.

His eyes flew open on their own accord to see Kibito looking down on him with seriousness on his wrinkled features, and with Shin wearing a relieved look on his face. Slowly, Gohan stood up, and could clearly hear Shin's verbal relief that he was all right, the Supreme Kai's voice sounding clearly in his ears. Gohan clenched and unclenched his fists in wonder, feeling new power coursing through his being, even more powerful than before thanks to his Saiyan genes—every time they had a scrape with death, when healed, they became that much stronger, and this time was no exception.

He was no longer dying—he was fully _alive_, and stronger than he had been before. A few scattered, relieved thoughts crossed through his mind at the moment as he marveled at how he was just saved from the brink of death yet again.

He wasn't dead. He was alive.

He'd be able to protect those he cared for, his family, his friends.

And he would be able to keep his promise to Videl.

* * *

The grief and hopelessness on the Lookout was just about tangible as everyone was still trying to cope with the news that Gohan and Vegeta were dead.

Most of them had their heads down, faces downcast; Krillin looked out into the distance, not seeing anything, remembering the ultimate sacrifice that Vegeta made to save those he loved, giving up his own life in hopes of protecting them, for it only to be in vain, and unable to believe that Gohan was also gone; Yamcha, Roshi, and the other fighters were all mourning silently over the loss of Gohan; Bulma was in a slight fetal position, her hands gripping her blue hair tightly, as if it was the only thing that was keeping her sane, keeping her from screaming in agony, staring blankly at nothing, her blue eyes still shining with tears as she tried to understand the fact that Vegeta, her proud prince, her husband, was somehow _dead_; Chi-Chi was sobbing softly into her palms, oblivious to everything else but pure anguish, while the Ox King cradled his daughter in his massive arms, hugging her as he, too, mourned the loss of his oldest grandson; everyone else was just scattered around, no one really talking. Every now and then, Eighteen would talk to her husband, and Marron would hop into her daddy's lap and say something that brought the smallest of smiles to Krillin's lips; then, his girls would leave him some time alone, which was all right with him.

Videl was standing away from the little group, her hands resting on the railing of the palace, looking out into the distance. Tears still shone in her eyes as well as she bit her lip, shaking her head fiercely as she refused to cry again. But after seeing how the boys had reacted, she felt even more agony for them. They were only seven and eight years old, for crying out loud!

Goten and Trunks had woken up not that long ago; when they'd received the information that Vegeta and Gohan were dead, they both had very different reactions. Trunks had instantly turned Super Saiyan, screaming that his father wasn't dead, lunging for Goku, ready to hit him, but Piccolo had held the slightly hysterical boy back. Goten had begun to wail, unable to believe that his big brother, the one who had taught him how to fly, how to control his Super Saiyan form, and everything in between, was gone. After being told harshly that they had to focus, the two little boys had instantly blamed Goku for the deaths of their loved ones. They wouldn't listen to him until he let them talk to their families, and Goku had reluctantly relented, giving them fifteen minutes.

Then, the boys had come to see their families, who weren't in any better shape than they had been. Trunks had instantly gone over to his mother, and had held back tears in his sky blue eyes. She had looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes, trying to regain her composure in front of her son, bringing a hand to rest on his cheek. He had then told her in a hoarse voice that his dad's last request had been to protect Mom, and that he would do that. Bulma had smiled tremblingly at the look on her son's face, the determination on his features that were oh-so-agonizingly-similar to his father's, and had told him that he looked just like Vegeta when he did that…then, she had hugged Trunks close to her, and the little boy hugged his mother back gently, both of them sobbing at the loss of their loved one. Trunks had sobbed into his mother's chest, actually acting his age at the moment as he struggled to cope with the loss; Bulma had run her fingers through his lavender hair, holding him tightly, crying silent tears of loss herself. Goten had instantly gone over to his mother, who had just woken up a few minutes ago. The moment that she saw her little boy, she had let out a cry and had run over to him, hugging him tightly to her while he hugged her back, both of them crying as well at the loss of Gohan. Goku, slightly unsure, had also gone over to his little family, placing a hand on Chi-Chi's back in a slightly comforting gesture.

Seeing the boy's reactions had broken Videl's heart, and she had been yet again reminded that Gohan was dead.

Some time had passed since then, and the boys were currently learning the Fusion Dance, a technique that would enable them to somehow combine into one extremely strong warrior. And, while they were doing that, everyone else was just sitting numbly around the Lookout in their positions of grief as the news sunk in even deeper than before.

"It's almost impossible to believe, huh?" Yamcha finally stated numbly as he broke the silence that had hung over them like a dark cloud, shaking his head. "That Gohan and Vegeta are gone…"

Bulma let out a sound between a choke and a sob, hands gripping her hair even more tightly as her lip trembled, before she let out a wail as she began to cry again without abandon, quickly getting up out of her chair, bringing her hands up to her face as she cried into her palms, unashamed. It hurt so much, the fact that her strong, tough guy, the man who was always there for her, the solid rock in her life, was _gone_. She loved him so much…

As she sobbed into her palms, Krillin cast a sour look at Yamcha. "Nice going," he muttered in irritation, gesturing to the blue-haired woman who was now slightly hysterical with her grief, barely able to breathe through her sobs.

Yamcha returned the look with his own dark eyes, glaring slightly at Krillin. "I didn't mean anything," he replied in his defense, which was true—even though he may not have exactly liked the guy, the loss of Vegeta, probably the second-strongest person on the planet and the one who seemed to _never_ die no matter _what_ happened to him, had also made an impact on the group. Coupled with the loss of the true defeater of Cell, and it amounted to one great batch of hopelessness and agony. He walked up to his former girlfriend, gently placing his hands on her shuddering shoulders as an attempt to comfort her.

"I'm sorry, B, I didn't mean to hurt you more," he told her sincerely, lightly squeezing her small shoulders reassuringly, before he tried a slight attempt at a joke. "I sure am a dumbass, aren't I?"

This gained him a slight form of response similar to the Bulma that he knew—she let out a slight laugh, choking it out through her sobs as she peered up at him with her watery blue eyes, shining with her tears, forming a slightly trembling smile.

"You can say that again," she teased back hoarsely, managing to smile at him for only a second longer before she collapsed once more, crying. Yamcha went in front of her and wrapped her in a gentle hug, and Bulma cried into his chest as he simply held her, like a friend. He knew that they didn't have romantic feelings for each other anymore—she'd accepted the fact that they weren't meant for each other a long time ago, and, even though it had been difficult, _especially_ considering that the guy that she _did_ end up with was a total _prick_ and had _killed_ him before, he had gradually accepted that fact as well. Both of them were content on being just very good friends, and it seemed as if this friendship was working out even better than their old dating life had been. Yamcha was currently being the crying shoulder that Bulma so desperately needed, someone who was stronger than her, who would support her solidly and simply be there for her while she struggle to cope with the loss. He ran his fingers gently though her silky blue hair, not saying anything this time as he allowed her to completely break down, not telling her that she had to get a grip again. He vaguely understood now, the pain and agony that she must be going through.

"It's just…" Krillin sighed, unable to come up with words to describe the true emotions that were in the palace; the grief was much too strong to be called grief, and the hopelessness was too heavy for it to be referred to as hopelessness. Words of that magnitude had not been created, and probably would never be created.

"Why them?" Bulma managed to whisper, voice breaking slightly, unable to understand it. Vegeta had paid for his past sins many times over, and plenty of the things that he had done would probably not have been committed if he hadn't been under the tyrannous rule of Frieza since he was merely five years old, and still had paid for them in the nightmares that had sometimes occurred—however, Bulma's presence had helped him, and he had found himself having them less and less frequently than normal. And Gohan…what had that kid done? Everything that he'd done was only to save the world, only for the benefit of others, almost always putting other people before himself, saving himself to dead, complete last.

"I c-can't buh-believe that suh-something as st-st-stupid as M-Majin Buu kuh-killed them," Bulma gasped out, over the murmured, "Shhh," that Yamcha was gently saying to calm her down, running his fingers through her hair once again. "V-V-Vegeta…and G-guh-Gohan…"

It was as if something suddenly snapped within Videl, and without warning, she instantly whipped around, facing the grieving faces of everyone else. Suddenly, the grief wasn't in respect for the dead—it was in giving up, and Videl _never_ gave up. Her mind had settled it: even though her brain was currently telling her that Gohan was dead, since Goku had told her that information, her heart absolutely _refused_ to believe it. She…she somehow _knew_ that Gohan had to be out there, Goku must have been mistaken…her mind said he was, but her heart begged to differ…

"That's all I hear!" Videl suddenly shouted, glaring at them. "Dead, dead, dead!" She threw her hands up in the air, suddenly regaining the fire that she thought had slightly diminished when Goku had told her that Gohan had died. The initial shock of it all and the initial believing was what caused her to act that way—she resolved to cry no more, that she wouldn't cry anymore, because her heart was suddenly saying that Gohan wasn't dead, that he was alive, that he just _couldn't_ be dead because he'd _promised_ her that he wouldn't die, that he'd come back.

He _promised_.

"You all just give up hope so easily, don't you!?" she yelled, clenching her fists. "Believing that Gohan's dead! Well, he's not!"

There was a slightly awkward silence, the only sound being Videl's slightly sped up breathing and Bulma's continuing sobs, and Yamcha's gentle murmurs and shush's of comfort to the beautiful and yet distraught woman. Then, Krillin spoke up, shaking his head, sorrow and regret in his tone.

"I'm sorry, Videl," he said gravely, looking down at the table as he played with his fingers, not wanting to meet her startlingly intense blue gaze, which had suddenly whipped to him as he had spoken. "We all have the unique ability to sense each other's energy, and, lemme tell ya, it's impossible not to sense Gohan. When you don't sense someone's energy, however…it means that…they've passed on." He finally managed to make eye-contact with her, bracing himself for what he knew he had to tell her, to make her understand. "Well, we can't sense Gohan's energy anymore, Videl. I'm sorry."

She fiercely shook her head in reply, clenching her fists, feeling the tears begin to fill up in her eyes once more at the news that Krillin told her but valiantly held them back, because it wasn't true, he wasn't gone!

"I don't care what you say," she said with surprising venom in her voice, acid that even startled herself with its intensity. "He's _not_ dead. He can't be…" The tears filled up in her eyes again, and she hastily blinked them to clear them away, looking away from Krillin as she gazed out into the distance. A single tear escaped from her eye, falling down her cheek ever-so-slowly as she hastily wiped it away, sniffling the slightest bit.

She began to speak softly, more to herself than anyone else, not caring if they heard her or not. "He can't be dead…before we ever had a chance to be together," she confessed quietly, another tear falling from her eye. Once again, she quickly wiped it away, before placing her forehead in her hand as she stared at the pristine white marble railing of the Lookout.

"Gohan…you promised that you would come back," Videl whispered, feeling a few more silent tears fall from her eyes—she was crying so much, and she wanted to stop, but when she was hit with the thought that Gohan was dead (but he wasn't, she fiercely told herself, he wasn't, he wasn't), her emotions took over, grief at the thought of losing him being the primary thing in her mind. She was so confused, so many emotions stirring within her that it was slightly startling with how much she could feel at one time.

"You don't break your promises, Gohan," she said to herself in a quiet murmur, almost as if she could visualize his face right in front of her, as if she was actually speaking to him now instead of herself. "You said that you'd come back. You can't be gone. You promised."

A few more tears escaped, and this time, Videl didn't brush them away, feeling too numb and conflicted at the moment to care about her tears. The saltiness of them as they fell on her tongue seemed diluted as she simply became lost in her own thoughts, having her own internal conflict with her logic and with her heart.

Krillin looked at her, seeing the tears that were silently coursing down her cheeks as she looked out into the distance, barely even making a sound as she grieved, and yet she still had remained hopeful in the fact that Gohan was alive. He didn't know how else to explain it, though—he wasn't able to feel Gohan's energy. Unless the kid was on a different planet thousands of miles away, then Gohan was gone. He couldn't offer Bulma any solace; he'd been right there with Piccolo as Vegeta had sacrificed himself for the sake of his family, had felt as the Saiyan prince expelled all of his energy in a last-ditch effort to kill Majin Buu. Piccolo had said that there had been no trace of him left, and what made the loss all the worse was that it had been in vain.

Hoping that maybe Videl was right and that Gohan was still alive, he vainly reached his senses to their limits. However, he was unable to feel the familiar, warm and powerful ki of his close friend, and felt disappointment at that. He had allowed himself a glimmer of hope, but it had been vanished as quickly as it had been ignited. He let out a sigh, shaking his head, casting a look at Yamcha, who was still comforting Bulma, hugging her as she cried, before Krillin turned his gaze back to where the young woman was standing, eyes closed.

Krillin wasn't sure what had happened between Gohan and her; he'd only got quick little glimpses from here at the Tournament at their reactions. He knew that Gohan had first told him that Videl seemed to be out for his blood—then, the kid had said that she wasn't all that bad, and that she was pretty decent. While they had been at the Tournament, Krillin had noticed a few subtle things that he wasn't sure anyone else had picked up on, except, perhaps, the other females in their group of misfits. He had noticed how Gohan had gone to stand next to Videl instead of being with their group while they had waited on line for the punch machine; as they had drawn their numbers, he noticed that Gohan had gone away from them and had gone to stand next to Videl, and had seen her wear a small smile on her face as he went over to her and began talking to her; Krillin also could not forget the reaction that Gohan had when he'd seen Spopovich hurting Videl, could not forget how animalistic the normally good-tempered and gentle kid had suddenly become while she was being hurt, becoming a Super Saiyan in his anger; Gohan's anxiousness as he waited for his father to return with the Senzu beans that would heal Videl had been just about tangible in the air; Krillin also recalled when Videl had been healed, how she had pushed through them to see Gohan, and how, when Spopovich and Yamu had been draining his energy, she had tried to run out and help him before Goku had restrained her.

Even though he often teased Gohan about how the teenager felt about Videl, Krillin knew that the two liked each other. It had been obvious in their behaviors—well, to him at least. Krillin hadn't seen Gohan that angry since the battle with Cell, when the perfect life form had crushed Android #16's head ruthlessly with his foot; and Videl hadn't struck him as the type of girl that would cry over something that wasn't meaningful to her. Seeing her reaction to the news of hearing that Gohan was dead had cemented it. Even if they didn't know it, they liked each other greatly—hell, maybe they _loved_ each other, he wasn't sure.

Just then, Eighteen came over to him once again, Marron in her arms. After she reached her husband, their little girl climbed down into Krillin's lap, hugging him around his neck. He couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his features as his little girl hugged him—she always managed to cheer him up somehow. He was even more grateful when Eighteen simply put a hand on his shoulder, glad for the support.

"Daddy," Marron began quietly, whispering into his ear as if telling him a secret. He leaned in closer to her, causing her to giggle slightly, before she continued. "I still don't get why everyone's so sad," she confessed quietly, looking down at her red dress, absentmindedly playing with one of her blond pigtails that were held up with pretty red bows, the way that she did when she was confused or unsure about something. "I mean, can't we just wish Gohan and Mister Vegeta back with the Dragon Balls?"

Krillin sighed, shaking his head slightly. "Remember, sweetheart, the Dragon Balls were used before, remember? To bring back everyone who had been killed at the Tournament?"

The little five-year-old nodded. "But don't they grant two wishes?"

"Yeah, they do, but we already used one wish. We have to wait six months before we're able to use them again," he told her quietly. He also didn't want to add the fact that the Dragon Balls couldn't bring back people who had died already, which would mean that, no matter what, Vegeta wasn't coming back to them. He wasn't sure if Bulma was able to hear them, and didn't want to make her grief even worse by saying that.

"Oh," Marron replied, looking thoughtful for a moment before she reached up and kissed his cheek. "Well, I'm glad that you're OK, Daddy," she told him, wrapping her little arms around his neck once more in a hug. Krillin smiled once more, hugging her back. After she let go, she sent him a dazzling grin, and hopped out of his lap after telling her mother that she wanted to explore the rest of the palace. Eighteen agreed, cautioning the little girl to be careful, before Marron scampered off. Krillin sighed as he watched their daughter run off.

He felt his wife gently squeeze his shoulder, and he looked up at her for a moment, managing a smile at her. She couldn't help but smile the slightest bit back—it was one of the wonderful things about Krillin, the way that he could somehow make her smile so _easily_, even without words—before she bent down and gently kissed his cheek.

"I'm glad that you're all right, too, Krillin," she told him, and Krillin was able to smile even more at her as he brought his hand up to the one that she had resting on his shoulder, so that their hands were gently touching.

"Thanks, honey; I'm _really_ glad that I'm OK, too," he said, slightly jokingly, making Eighteen roll her eyes at him slightly, unable to hide the smirk that formed on her face at that. He chuckled at her reaction, squeezing her hand lightly, feeling a sense of peace come over him as his wife stood there, being there for him when he needed it, keeping track of his daughter's moving ki as she explored the Lookout to her heart's content.

After a few moments of comfortable silence as Krillin to strength from the presence of his wife, she eventually told him that she would go and check on how Marron was doing, even though she already knew where the girl was based on her ki signature. It made Krillin smile a bit more; she hadn't been sure if she would be a good mother to Marron, and she had been correct, because Krillin thought that she was an absolutely _amazing_ mother to their daughter. In reply, he had nodded, and she had bent down to kiss his cheek once again, so reminiscent of the first time that she had done so, when she had still been considered a "bad" guy and had been simply teasing him, before she went to go and check up on the little girl.

Videl had watched the little interaction between the family from the corner of her eye. The icy blonde woman, Eighteen, seemed to be cold and frigid, without emotion, but having seen her interact with Krillin, Videl almost completely changed her mind. Also, having seen the way that she had cared for her daughter had also changed her view on the woman. Gohan had told her about how Eighteen had been very cold towards just about everyone, but had warmed up after she had been with Krillin.

Thinking about Gohan caused another stab of pain to hit her, and she turned away quickly, fighting within herself once more. He wasn't dead. She absolutely refused to believe that he was gone, after everything that had happened to them, after what he'd promised her…

She looked out into the distance, wondering where Gohan was now, because she knew that he was alive, she was _sure_ that he was alive, because she was unable to believe he was dead. If she had never met Gohan, she was sure that she wouldn't care about him, able to go on with life normally, unaffected by his absence or presence in the world. But now that he was in her life…she couldn't imagine a life _without_ him in it.

Dammit, he wasn't be dead. He wasn't, because if he was, then she would strangle him herself.

Videl took in a deep breath, shaking her head. He _couldn't_ be dead. She wouldn't allow it. She knew that he was alive.

He'd promised her that he'd come back. And Gohan was the type of person that kept his promises, no matter what.

He couldn't be dead…because she'd been unable to tell him the truth.

She wouldn't allow him to die on her, wouldn't allow him to leave this world, until Videl Satan had told Gohan Son that she loved him.

* * *

**Wow, this was a quick update. Inspiration hit, guys, you're lucky, I can't believe I got this done in less than a week! I couldn't wait to write this chapter—yes, I just _love_ writing emotional scenes like this. I'm terrible, I know XD. Also, I absolutely _love_ little family moments between characters, so I could _not_ resist putting in a little Krillin, Eighteen, and Marron interaction, I think they're such a cute family. Also, even though I may not like Yamcha all that much (true Vegeta and Trunks fangirl all the way here XD), I don't think that he's a _complete_ dick. I think that he'd try to comfort Bulma and that he was just stupid in the show when he tried to comfort her the first time.**

**Anyways, only one more chapter left of the Buu saga, before we get into the _really_ juicy stuff! *wink, wink* So, thank you, everyone, for reading this, and please review! Thanks! :D**


	9. Confessions

**Well, sorry to leave the last chapter on such a sad note! But it had to be done, guys, you knew it did, and you probably know that you loved it too ;) anyways, here's no more sadness! Here's the happy chapter where everything gets better, and the last chapter of the Buu saga! And guys, this story has hit the 100 review mark, I'm so happy! :D thank you for all my reviewers who contributed to that, they've all helped me improve and have brightened my day significantly! :) Well, enough of my pointless rambling, and onto the story!**

**Oh, also, some of the dialogue here is straight from the manga, because I currently have volumes 25 and 26 with me, and I really like the way that some of the things are said there. Not all of it is from the manga, mind you, but some of it, and only in small bits. You'll see what I mean. And I've rambled again, I really have to stop doing that. Bad habit. All right, I'll stop, onto the story (for real this time)!**

**Hope you enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: I think there's a reason why they call this _fanfiction_. It's made by _fans_. As such, I do not own Dragon Ball Z, it belongs to the great and completely amazing genius Akira Toriyama.**

* * *

Usually, Gohan was the type of person who had quite a bit of patience, who was able to keep his cool while he was waiting for a long time, such as waiting for the old Supreme Kai to draw out his latent power and who kept on falling asleep. Often, he was the one who didn't lose his temper while everyone else around him had gone insane, one of the only rational ones of the group.

Of course, a person always had his limits.

"How much _longer_ is this gonna _take_?" he asked in irritation, watching as he had snapped the Old Kai out from yet another doze that he had fallen into. What made matters even worse was the fact that he was wearing the most ridiculous clothes that he had ever believed could have existed, which was an exact match to Kibito and Shin's, and to the old man's.

After being saved from the brink of death, Gohan had been told that Kibito had transported them and Shin over to the sacred world of the Kais, and Kibito had supplied him with new clothes since his old Saiyaman outfit was just about trash, only the blue spandex body suit left that was torn in numerous places. Then, Shin had led him over to a big mountain, where there was a legendary sword that hadn't been pulled out by all of the Supreme Kais, who had all tried to pull it out but had all failed. Shin believed that Gohan could do so, however, and Gohan had tried his hand at pulling out the mystical Z Sword, feeling a lot like King Arthur at the moment, wondering if this was how he felt when _he_ had pulled out the Sword in the Stone. The sword had been so damn heavy, though, that Gohan had to transform into a Super Saiyan, and he managed to pull out the really heavy sword.

Shin had seemed impressed, but Kibito had seemed to suddenly have a grudge against Gohan (though the teen had no idea why) and said that the sword must not be that heavy if he was able to lift it. Gohan had given the sword to him to see if Kibito could hold it. Needless to say, the moment that Gohan let go of the sword and its weight was fully transferred to the old man, it fell into the ground with a great crash, which left a sword-shaped indent on the ground and Kibito tried in vain to pick it up. Gohan couldn't help but smirk at this, unable to stop himself from reveling in the fact that he had so obviously one-upped Kibito.

After he had practiced with the sword for quite a while, getting used to its weight and then being able to actually control it with ease, his father had suddenly appeared in front of him after using Instant Transmission. After being told what had happened, Goku tried his own hand at holding the sword, and was actually able to keep it off of the ground, but commented that it was pretty darn heavy, handing it back to his son. He had then watched with pride and amazement as Gohan easily handled the sword, showing Goku some of the moves that he'd learned.

Goku decided that they should see how sharp the sword really was, and had easily pulled out a huge boulder out from the ground without even any visible effort, even though the hunk of rock was many times bigger than he was. With one strike from Gohan, the Z Sword sliced through the rock as easily as a knife through butter. Shin had then conjured a huge block of the hardest known metal in the universe, which Goku held up with one arm, encouraging his son to slice it just as easily as he had done so before with the rock. Of course, since it was a magical sword and everything, Gohan instantly agreed, actually believing that he might stand a chance against Buu with this sword.

So, they all got a nasty shock when the mystical and super-powerful sword broke with a deafening _clang!_ the moment that it hit the metal block.

The first thought going through all four of their heads had vaguely been along the lines of: Oh, shit. And they got yet another surprise when suddenly, there was a _very_ old man in front of them, saying that he was the Supreme Kai from many generations ago, and that he had been trapped inside of that sword. When it had broken, he had been released from his prison. And if that wasn't enough, he apparently was able to unlock the latent power of someone, and had agreed to do so to Gohan himself after Goku made a quick deal with him—Gohan hadn't heard the exchange. Then, the old man had begun to do an odd dance around him and saying an odd chant, stating that he had to do so for quite a while, and Gohan had simply waited through the utter weirdness. Then, he'd been told that they had to meditate so that his hidden power could be released. He hadn't been told how long it would take, though.

This led to what was happening now; Gohan had been sitting on the ground, in front of the Old Supreme Kai, waiting patiently for his latent power to be pulled out by the old lord. However, it had been _quite_ a few hours already, and Gohan's rather deep well of patience had finally run dry.

"Wow, we still aren't finished yet?" the Old Kai asked, sounding amazed as he looked back at Gohan. This only made the teen the slightest bit more irked as he fiercely ground his teeth in a desperate effort to keep his temper and control in check. "You must've had a _lot_ of latent power in ya, kid!"

And, for some reason, that comment just rubbed Gohan the wrong way.

Instantly, he leapt up from his previous cross-legged position, finally losing it as he yelled, "I'M _SICK_ OF THIS!"

As he shouted angrily, his power exploded outwards from his being. It was as if an invisible shockwave suddenly went through the whole planet, and Goku barely had time to register the immense power that was suddenly coming off from his son before he was hit with the force of his energy, which nearly threw all of them back with its intensity. The grass around Gohan had completely flattened, and his white aura spiked around him, licking at him like tongues of fire as a cloud of debris appeared, surrounding him in a cloud of dust from the pure power. However, he didn't seem conscious of this at the moment, his anger blinding him as he yelled furiously at the old Lord of Lords.

"HOW WILL I _EVER_ BE ABLE TO FIGHT MAJIN BUU," Gohan began to shout at the Old Kai, fists clenched in anger as his aura intensified the slightest bit more, more power seeming to come off of him in waves, "IF _YOU_—keep falling—asleep…" His voice had faded away as he abruptly began to realize the power that was flowing through him, all of the undulating power and pure might, so much that it felt as if he could possibly explode from so much raw power within him…never before had he felt such power at his fingertips, and he vaguely remembered that he'd felt the same way when he first turned Super Saiyan in the Time Chamber, when he had made the first ever Super Saiyan 2 transformation at the Cell Games…but this was even _more_ than that, somehow…

_So_ _much_ _power…,_ Gohan managed to think through his pure shock. _Is_ _this…is_ _this_ _really me?_

"Sit down," the Old Kai said casually, almost as if Gohan hadn't just lost his temper. "We aren't finished yet."

Suddenly, Gohan found new respect for the old man. He had originally thought that the old Lord of Lords was nothing but a fraud, possibly a bit crazy from being trapped inside of a sword for so long—now he knew the Old Kai was serious. Obediently, Gohan quickly sat down, crossing his legs once more.

"Sorry," he offered, slightly sheepish. The Old Kai didn't seem to mind, neither acknowledging it nor snapping back at him in irritation. "Hey, um…thanks," Gohan added as an afterthought, meaning it. All he got was a shrug, but Gohan managed to catch a grin on the old man's face.

"Holy crap!" Goku exclaimed from the sidelines; he turned to see that Kibito and Shin were both wearing equal faces of shock as they had witnessed the pure power coming from the teen. "Did…was that all Gohan's power?"

"Y-yes," Shin stammered out, still completely unable to wrap his mind around just how _powerful_ these Saiyans were. "It was all the power that lay dormant inside of him…and there's still more, apparently, to be unlocked!"

"Whoa," Goku said, eyes widening as he looked at his son. "I can't believe that Gohan had all that power inside of him!" Yes, he had witnessed the potential that his son had at numerous times, ever since the kid was four years old; he had easily hurt Raditz in a fit of rage when he saw his father being hurt by his uncle; during the fight with Nappa, Gohan had unleashed a powerful blast at Nappa after Piccolo had died for him, his anger empowering him yet again; being able to make the Super Saiyan transformation at the mere age of nine; being the first to ascend to the level above Super Saiyan during the fight with Cell. However, Goku couldn't truly comprehend how much power Gohan had just exerted in his anger—hell, he'd say that Gohan was even more powerful than _him_!

He had plenty of time to ponder this fact, though, while they waited for _all_ of Gohan's latent power to be released. Gohan had gently slipped into meditation after he realized that it wouldn't be worth it to get angry again, and simply waited until he was told that it was finished. There was an interruption as Goku saw what was happening on the Earth, furiously hissing out the words, "That _murderer_!" _That_ snapped Gohan out of his meditation, and quickly turned to his father. When asked what happened, though, Goku quickly shook his head, telling Gohan that he had to refocus.

It was then that Gohan got an odd, sinking feeling within his chest, and he knew that something bad must've happened. However, he respected his father's wish and returned to meditation that wasn't at all as calming as it should be.

He was unable to keep track of time, but he suddenly felt that this releasing of his latent power was taking too long. He didn't dare speak out against the Old Kai, however, after what he had witnessed before, the immense power that he'd let out in his momentary burst of anger.

"NO!" Goku suddenly shouted, causing Gohan's eyes to snap open as he turned to the full-blooded Saiyan once more. Goku was wearing a panicked look on his face as he looked into the crystal ball that the elder Lord of Lords had given them to see what was going on back home, and he looked up at the old man. "You need to hurry, the kids' fusion just powered down! They don't stand a chance against Buu like that, they'll be killed!"

Gohan's eyes were wide, and he instantly turned to the old man to ask him how much longer it was going to take, but the old man beat him to it.

"You can go now," he said matter-of-factly. "I've been done for a little while, actually."

There was silence for a few moments, before Gohan damn near _exploded_. "What the _hell_!?" he hissed angrily. "Since _when_!?"

"Oh, for a few minutes," the Elder Kai replied nonchalantly, as if it wasn't a big deal that he had held up Gohan.

"Why didn't you freaking _say_ so?" Gohan yelled, frustrated now that he hadn't been told sooner. If he'd been told, maybe the kids wouldn't be in as much danger as they were in now…

"Oh, this adds to the drama of the whole situation!" the Old Kai replied, as if it was all a huge show that he was watching.

"Oh my god—" Gohan spluttered for a few moments, shaking his head in pure shock at how lightly the old man was taking this. "I have to go! How do I become this ultimate fighter or whatever the hell it's called?" Usually, Gohan wouldn't say words like that, not wanting Goten to hear him say words that weren't exactly "good" to say (having Trunks in the equation, though, seemed to cancel out his efforts; it was impossible to be living with Vegeta and Bulma and _not_ curse, after hearing the words that they threw at each other, and Trunks didn't exactly control his mouth around his best friend, either), but Gohan was extremely frustrated and worried for his little brother.

"Just power up like you're turning into a Super whatever-it's-called," the Old Kai told him, not hearing as Gohan grumbled the correction under his breath in a rude manner. "This is no different, you fire it up just like that!"

Gohan wasted no time in doing so, and executed his power the same way that he did when he transformed into a Super Saiyan. The effect was instantaneous—instantly, power began to emanate from him, the force of it causing the Elder Kai to fly away, along with Shin and Kibito. The only one able to stand against the force was Goku, and he was doing so with difficulty.

Gohan looked down at his hands in awe, feeling the immeasurable and seemingly limitless power flowing through him. He clenched his fists, as if he couldn't believe it, because this power was…was…

"Amazing," he whispered aloud, before turning to his father. "Holy _crap_, Dad, it's _incredible_!"

"It's…it's _insane_!" Goku managed to get out. "I mean, you haven't even changed…you're not even Super Saiyan, and yet…"

"That Super Saiyan thing is just flashiness," the Elder Kai said, getting up and dusting himself off, slightly ticked off at the fact that Gohan had exploded his amazing power _right_ _next_ to him.

Then, Gohan was once again reminded of the severity of the situation when Shin told him that he had to hurry. He nodded, and he and his father exchanged their goodbyes; the boy honestly had to struggle to hold the few sudden tears that had welled up behind his eyes when he realized that this would truly be the last time that he saw his father, until he, too, died. It was even worse when Goku said that he wished that he could see Gohan in action now, and that he was proud of him and gave him his luck. Gohan couldn't stop himself from hugging his father suddenly, fighting back those stupid tears bravely as he controlled himself, while Goku returned the hug and reassuringly patted his son on the back. Gohan didn't want to let go, but he knew that he had to, and did so with reluctance. Goku smiled at his firstborn, giving him a reassuring thumbs-up, which Gohan returned, before Kibito transported them back to Earth.

Before Kibito could leave, however, Gohan asked him to change his outfit, making the clothes the same orange _gi_ that his father wore. When he fought with Buu, he wanted to be wearing the _gi_ of his father. Kibito seemed to understand with a small smile, and had used his special power to change Gohan's clothes (apparently, the color _orange_ was the same as a weird type of frog dung, but Gohan didn't comment) into the traditional _gi_ that his father wore. After he quickly thanked Kibito, the older man smiled and wished him luck, and Gohan nodded. As Kibito transported himself back to his planet, Gohan blasted off, locking on the strong power level of Majin Buu.

It barely even took a minute to get there with the speed that he was traveling at, and he felt the familiar energies of Trunks, Piccolo, and Goten. Feeling relief wash over him as he knew that his little brother was safe, Gohan went even faster, and eventually caught sight of their figures. He skidded to a stop a few seconds later, landing right in front of them.

"Well, looks like I made it in time," he said aloud, looking at Majin Buu. He looked different now—no longer was he an obese pink blob that, to Gohan, resembled Dodoria the slightest bit. Of course, Majin Buu was still pink, but he was much, much more muscular this time, and one was actually able to see his eyes, not perpetually closed anymore. The eyes were chilling, even Gohan had to admit it. The whites of the monster's eyes weren't white—they were black, which gave him a slightly possessed look. His irises were red, and his pupils were black, so his eyes looked like they were completely black with only a red circle to show where his iris was. It was this trait that seemed to be the most chilling about Majin Buu now.

"_GOHAN!"_ Goten cried out, and instantly, the little boy launched himself at his older brother and wrapped his arms tightly around his neck in an embrace, not caring that Majin Buu was right in front of them, only registering at the moment that Gohan was _alive_. The older boy stumbled backwards the slightest bit, not expecting the force with which Goten had thrown himself at, and grinned as he hugged the little boy back eagerly, honestly relieved that Goten was safe.

"Heya, squirt," Gohan greeted, unable to keep the smirk off of his face.

"Gohan, we thought you were…were dead!" Goten whispered, his voice seeming to waver between wanting to laugh with pure relief or cry from the emotion. He kept his tears at bay, however, and simply hugged Gohan even more tightly.

"You can't get rid of me that easily, Goten," Gohan replied, grinning. "I was saved by Shin, and I was with him until now, training to beat Buu."

Goten held onto his big brother for a few more moments, before he let go with reluctance, and Gohan smiled and ruffled the little boy's haphazard spikes. It was almost as if they had all forgotten that Buu was right there—indeed, the pink monster just seemed to be watching this exchange with a slightly pondering look on his noseless face, as if he was thinking about something, trying to rationalize something that didn't truly seem to make sense to him.

"Hey, Piccolo, Trunks," Gohan said, and received a slightly startled nod from his former mentor and a shaky, relieved laugh from the little prince. "Where's everyone else?"

It seemed as if a dark cloud had suddenly taken over the mood of relief, and it was Trunks who spoke. "Buu killed them all, Gohan!" he said, his voice breaking slightly as the news that his mother was dead suddenly seemed much more real than it had been before.

Shock and denial were the only two emotions that Gohan felt at the moment. No, everyone couldn't be dead, they couldn't, it just wasn't possible…

"Mom's gone?" he asked in disbelief, and he suddenly thought about the Dragon Balls. They could bring anyone back. But…the kids had said that everyone was gone. Did everyone include… "Dende's gone, too?" Gohan needed to know.

Goten nodded shakily, his eyes shining with tears as he bit his lip as he remembered how their mother had died, how Buu had turned her into an egg an then crushed her, and then remembering how he and Trunks had found out as Gotenks that Majin Buu had killed the rest of them by turning them into chocolate and eating them.

"We're all that's left, everyone's _gone_!" Goten wailed, managing to stop his tears, however, before they fell again. Hastily, he wiped his eyes with his sleeve as he tried to hide the fact that he nearly cried once more.

But it couldn't be true…if it was, then that meant that everyone was gone. His mother, his grandfather, Bulma, Krillin, Yamcha…all his friends…

It meant that Videl was gone, too.

"No…" It was the only word that Gohan could say, eyes wide with shock. Vainly, not truly wanting to believe it, Gohan searched for the familiar energies of one of their friends. He tried to lock in on his mother's warm, familiar energy, or the slightly-more-powerful-than-average ones of either Krillin or Yamcha…and the one that he had unintentionally gotten used to, the familiar power of Videl…

But he got nothing. He couldn't feel anyone.

They were all gone. All of them.

He hadn't been able to keep his mother safe. He hadn't been able to protect his friends. He hadn't been able to protect Videl. They were all _dead_.

His anger overrode everything at the moment as his face turned into a fierce snarl, glaring at Majin Buu with his ebony eyes. "You…you monster!" he growled out, still searching his senses for any familiar energies at the moment.

And then, as Majin Buu said something in reply, Gohan felt it. The familiar, faint energy of one of his friends…it was…it was Dende.

The despair that had clutched fiercely at his heart a few moments before suddenly lifted as he felt the familiar power level of the young Namekian, and the only thought that went through his head was the fact that the Dragon Balls were still active, that they still would be able to be used, even though they had to wait another six months…but it didn't matter. The fact was that they were still in existence, and that there was still hope, was currently enough.

Letting out a small sigh of relief, and then managing a chuckle as he shook his head slightly, Gohan then began to walk up to Buu, who seemed surprised at the fact that Gohan was simply walking up to him. Then, the pink monstrosity laughed, too, as if he found something horribly amusing.

"Are you _really_ gonna fight _me_? _Alone?_" Majin Buu taunted; his voice no longer sounded like that of a two-year-old, but more of a person who had a slightly high-pitched voice and didn't seem to be all that bright, almost like a nasally whine.

Gohan couldn't help the smirk that made its way onto his features. "No," he replied. "I'm going to _kill_ you."

Buu suddenly began to laugh maniacally, as if he'd just heard an extremely funny joke. "_Now_ I remember you! I beat you up bad before!" he snickered.

The smirk never left Gohan's face, and right when he was standing in front of Buu, he allowed his power to explode from his being once more, unleashing the true extent of his power that had been lying dormant within him for so long. Idly, he noticed how dramatic it seemed, with dust clouds appearing around him on the barren terrain, the wind seeming to seep outwardly from his form.

And the best thing of all was the small spark of fear that seemed to enter in Buu's eyes as he looked down at Gohan, probably feeling the power of the Saiyan hybrid.

Gohan wasted no time in proceeding to beat the monster to a bloody pulp—he punched and kicked, and blocked every single one of the punches that were sent his way and countered almost too quickly for any of the fighters to even track his movements. Buu had obviously not been expecting the fierce and sudden attack, and struggled to get away from the lightning-fast and extremely powerful punches and kicks of the teen. His odd, chilling eyes darted around, trying to lock onto Gohan's energy, when a smug voice behind him said, "I'm right over here, you moron."

Eyes wide, he whipped around to see that the kid was behind him, still wearing that damnable smirk on his face.

"You know it, too, don't you?" Gohan asked, almost conversationally. "You can't possibly win. Not against me."

The shock on Buu's almost featureless face then turned into one of the weirdest smirks that Gohan had ever seen. "I knew it…it _was_ you," he finally said.

"What?" Gohan asked with a raised eyebrow at the djinn, more out of curiosity and amusement than true worry for anything.

"I felt very big power far, far away…I didn't think anything could have bigger power than me…I don't want anyone to be stronger…" His tone was contemplating, almost as if he was pondering it aloud.

"So, you decided to try me out, huh?" Gohan asked, bemused the slightest bit. "Well, hate to break it to you, Buu, but it seems that I'm stronger than you by a _long_ shot. Seems that you're not the strongest anymore…and don't expect any mercy from me. I just want to prolong this so that I can pay back the deaths of everyone that you've killed." His tone became deadly at that, eyes hardening, but still wearing the smirk on his handsome features, which made Gohan suddenly look very intimidating and frightening, two things that you would never associate with him usually.

Buu's face contorted into a grimace. "You…you listen…" His voice suddenly escalated and he began to shout at Gohan, the loudness of his voice slightly hurting his sensitive Saiyan hearing. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH IT! I'LL SMASH YOU!"

Gohan couldn't resist a mocking snicker. "We both know that's impossible," he stated. "There's only one way that this ends, and it's with you dead."

It was almost as if Buu had never burst out in anger before, and simply wore another dangerous, almost feral smirk on his face as he chuckled. His body slowly began to be covered with a faint glow, a white light that surrounded his being, energy crackling off from his skin, veins popping out as the crackling sound seemed to grow more intense by the second, the light growing brighter.

Gohan realized what he was doing at the last possible moment, and his eyes widened in pure shock, before he acted quickly and impulsively—he grabbed Piccolo, Trunks, and Goten and flew them out of the way of the devastating blast as Buu self-destructed with a blinding white flash.

"…Thank you, Gohan…" Piccolo managed to get out, still slightly shocked as he looked at the spot where Buu had suddenly _exploded_.

"No problem," Gohan replied, his tone slightly serious.

"We…we almost…we almost died…!" Goten managed to get out, completely shocked. If it hadn't been for his big brother's super-fast reflexes…they would all be nothing but disintegrated ashes right about now.

"Holy...holy crap…he…oh my god, he freaking _blew_ _himself_ _UP_!" Trunks shouted in complete and utter disbelief, still trying to get over the fact himself that he might've died if Gohan hadn't been there. "HOLY CRAP!"

Gohan eventually landed them on a cliff away from where Buu had self-destructed. Piccolo looked at his former pupil, once again noticing how different he seemed, how much more grown up he suddenly appeared…however, he could always see traces of the sniveling four-year-old brat who he had been the first one to train. The thought of that brought a small smirk of pride to his lips, before he spoke.

"Is Buu finally gone?" he asked seriously.

Gohan's dark eyes were pensive. "No," he replied. He'd seen how powerful Buu was—the blast wouldn't have been able to kill him, because he could regenerate even from ashes.

"_What!?"_ Trunks asked in disbelief, turning to look at Gohan with startled blue eyes. "But…did you not just _see_ how he just _blew_ _himself_ _up_!? He tried to freaking take us with him, Gohan!"

"No, that blast wasn't nearly powerful enough to destroy him," Gohan replied gravely. For some odd reason, he felt the strangest feeling of numbness, of emotional detachment to the whole situation at the moment, the news that the people that he cared for were dead truly sinking in. Even though he had the Dragon Balls because Dende was still alive…it still didn't make up for the fact that they _had_ died, and that he'd failed to protect them…he hadn't protected his mother, or Bulma, or anyone else…he hadn't been able to protect Videl…he'd failed her yet again…

"I can't sense him," Piccolo muttered under his breath, looking out in the distance.

Lovely. Buu could hide his energy now, too. Well, that just made everything about one hundred times harder. And yet, Gohan couldn't seem to be able to focus on that fact, only able to think of all the times that he failed…and he was even more powerful now than ever before, and yet…

"Is he…is he planning to ambush us?" Goten managed to get out, his head swiveling around rapidly, as if he was going to see Buu pop out from anywhere. Hearing the worry in his little brother's tone brought Gohan slightly back to the real world.

"I'm not sure, Goten…but he has to be planning something," Gohan told him, and, upon seeing the worry on Goten's face, he managed the tiniest of possible smirks and ruffled his little brother's black, unruly hair. "Don't worry, squirt, I'm sure it's going to be fine," he said—it wasn't a lie, but it wasn't exactly a full truth. He couldn't tell what would be fine anymore, but he had to maintain a positive outlook for his brother's sake.

"Yeah, it will!" Trunks added, suddenly smirking. "Who cares about what Buu's planning, anyway? He was completely _helpless_ against Gohan!" He then turned to Goten, and spoke excitedly to him. "He's as strong as our Super Gotenks!"

"No, he's strong-_er_!" Goten corrected, unable to keep the pride and adoration for his big brother out of his voice.

"Well…maybe a little," the little prince admitted with slight reluctance.

Hearing the boys bicker, Gohan couldn't help the smirk that had formed on his face. However, it soon disappeared, and once again, the fact that they were all somehow _dead_ filtered into his system once more. And, once again, he realized with a sickening jerk that he'd done it yet again, done the same thing that had happened to Cell with Buu as well. He hadn't killed him as soon as he could. He had prolonged his misery.

And because of that, Buu might come up with a plan that could possibly endanger them all.

Gohan wanted to curse at himself for his stupidity—at the time, his cockiness seemed to be perfectly reasonable, and he couldn't figure out any reason why he shouldn't prolong the torture of Buu after he'd received the news from Goten that all their friends and family were dead. Now, it seemed the only logical thing to do was blast him to bits, then vaporize the ashes until there was absolutely nothing left of the pink freak. But his damned pride and arrogance had gotten in the way once again.

Piccolo noticed Gohan once again slipping into the self-guilt that the boy often did, and slightly shook his head. Gohan always seemed to blame himself for just about everything, including things that seemed to be completely out of control. In an attempt to drag him out of it, Piccolo put on a smirk, as if he didn't know what Gohan was going through, and said, "So…tell me, kid, how did…_this_…happen?" he asked, gesturing towards Gohan's self.

Gohan smirked back at his former mentor, but it was only slightly, before he went into the tale. Everything afterwards seemed to be a slight blur, the apprehension of waiting until Buu came back putting stress on him, and the anger at himself for not ending the fight sooner…

They had begun to search for Dende, running into Hercule and a little puppy along the way, who they brought to safety. Piccolo dropped Hercule after realizing with pure shock and hope that Dende was probably fine, that Buu didn't have time to hunt for him. Trunks had caught him by the ankle, not saying anything when Hercule gave him his thanks, simply glaring down slightly at the human with the intimidating gaze that he'd inherited from his father.

They found Dende, and a fresh surge of relief suddenly seemed to go through Gohan, but it was slightly less prominent as it normally was. He noticed Trunks carelessly throw Hercule on the ground—Goten was more conservative with the puppy, still holding the little dog and playing with it slightly as Dende rejoiced at seeing his friends once more, having believed them to be gone previously. Gohan greeted his Namekian friend with a smile, but it seemed almost as if he wasn't really there, as if it was nothing but a dream…

When they told Hercule about Videl, the man burst into loud tears, unable to believe that his little girl was dead. Gohan turned away, knowing that Videl would be able to be brought back to life along with the rest of the humans, but…he still hadn't been able to protect her…it gnawed at him guiltily, refusing to leave his system…

Goten tried to console Hercule, telling him that they'd be able to wish back Videl. He seemed almost hysterical at the fact that his daughter could possibly come back to life, and gripped Goten's little shoulders and nearly shook the kid, his tears still brimming in his eyes as he begged for him to be telling the truth…

It was then, suddenly, that Gohan felt it. Piccolo did, too, and Gohan quickly hushed the loud cries of Hercule, looking into the distance, where they felt the power that was Buu. Piccolo noted that it had only been about an hour…

So what could have possibly changed?

Gohan didn't care—he was going to end this as quickly as possible, so that he could repay Buu for the deaths that he'd caused. He blasted off after telling everyone to stay back, so that they wouldn't get hurt, and then he critically examined Buu with suspicion. Nothing seemed to have changed about him…so what had the prolonged absence been about?

It all happened so fast, so suddenly, so unexpectedly—Buu said he wanted to fight Gotenks…Gohan said that he wouldn't let him, that he'd have to try and make it past him before he reached the kids…to annoy them, Buu began to insult the two boys, goading them into a fight…Trunks and Goten wouldn't take it, and they performed the Fusion Dance, and then ascended to the Super Saiyan 3 level…the combined fighter was able to take on Buu easily, Gohan could tell, and decided to let the kids have a shot at it…the pink blobs suddenly came out of nowhere, covering both Gotenks and Piccolo…the blobs retreating to Buu's body, while Gohan, Dende, and Hercule could only watch in pure shock…Buu transforming, suddenly speaking with surprising intellect, and his power level skyrocketing…

And Gohan knew with a sickening feeling within his gut that things had taken a turn for the worst.

* * *

Being brought back to life was…weird.

Now, death hadn't been as weird as Videl would've expected it to be—before she could have even reacted, Buu had turned them all into chocolate, and just like that, she was dead. It had been quick, painless, and so sudden that she didn't even know that she was dead until she appeared in the Otherworld, and saw an absolutely _huge_ guy with red skin and black hair and a beard and white horns on his head, decked out in a lavender suit, sitting at a desk as he flipped through a book with a look of slight boredom on his face. Then, when they had reached his desk, most of them had gone to heaven, but Krillin and Yamcha had wanted to join in on a tournament that was apparently going on here, and had been sent over there, wherever the hell that was. _Lots_ of weird things happened to Videl in heaven, the main one being that she met the King of the Demon Realm, Dabura…and _gay_ was honestly the only word that she could possibly think of to describe him. Some king of demons _he_ had been. Heaven had probably screwed up his brain—the prettiness and happiness had probably been to much, and he had succumbed to the insanity that was eternal happy-go-luckiness that was just, quite frankly, the slightest bit frightening. She'd searched for Gohan, knowing that if he _had_ died (which he didn't, she had to vehemently remind herself), that he would obviously get into heaven. Dabura had then commented that he was in the presence of true love, which caused her to blush the slightest bit and also wonder for his sanity as well—he was probably completely nuts by now to say something like that.

And then, suddenly, was when it happened.

It was almost as if Goku was doing that Instant Transmission thing again, except this time it felt slightly weirder. Suddenly, she seemed to become more…_solid_, if possible. She looked around as her surrounding changed drastically, from a field with endless multicolored flowers to a vaguely familiar white place. It was almost as if she was able to _feel_ more, if possible, her senses seeming to be more acute—it felt as if she had been a mirage, or an apparition, before, and now was solidifying into a physical human being, which was probably the case here. It was almost impossible to truly explain how weird it was, but she knew that she was _alive_ once more.

She looked around her to see that she was back on the Lookout, and everyone was with her as well. They all had been brought back to life, and she had barely even been able to truly register the fact that they were _alive_ again before a voice, slightly deep obviously masculine, suddenly sounded inside of her mind, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. This certain voice was oh-so-achingly familiar to a certain blue-haired woman, whose eyes widened in pure shock, before she broke out into a bright smile of pure joy and brought a hand up to her heart, unable to describe the joy that flooded through her at the moment as she realized that she was able to hear his voice again, eyes filling up with tears of pure and undaunted elation.

"That's Vegeta! Oh my god, it's _Vegeta's_ voice!" Bulma exclaimed in pure happiness, wanting to scream it to the world, to tell anyone who was around her, anyone in arms' reach. Hastily, Krillin shushed her as he tried to listen to what was being said, though he was secretly glad too that they were able to hear the surly Saiyan prince's voice once more, unable to keep the grin off his face.

Vegeta was telling them to raise their hands to the sky, so that they could help with the defeat of Majin Buu. Videl's eyes widened in shock when everyone on the Lookout did so without resistance, some of them throwing both of their hands up in the air. She looked at them with a critical eye, and she managed to catch the eye of Krillin, who grinned at her.

"Come on, Videl, put your hand up!" he encouraged her. "They've managed to think of a way to finish Majin Buu once and for all!"

Hesitantly, feeling like an idiot, Videl did so, as well.

Suddenly, she felt very tired, as if she had just run a marathon. She gasped in shock, wondering why she suddenly felt exhausted, even though all she had done was raise her hand in the air. Krillin saw this, and now wore an apologetic look on his face.

"When they use the Spirit Bomb—what they're going to do now to try and beat Majin Buu—it requires energy from living things," he explained, slightly sheepish at the fact that he hadn't told her so before. "It's why you feel so tired, even though you did nothing. Don't worry, though, your energy will come back soon, just rest a bit."

Shocked, Videl could only muster a nod in reply, before she leaned against one of the poles of the palace to rest.

Time began to pass. A few of them seemed to know what was going on—Krillin, Yamcha, Eighteen, anyone who could sense energy was avidly following the battle between Majin Buu and the pure-blooded Saiyans, and gave commentary to the other who couldn't feel it as well. Apparently, things weren't turning out that well—the people weren't listening. Goku tried to reason with them as well, but it seemed that he only gained a little energy for the Spirit Bomb that he was making, only a few more people raising their hands after hearing that it was Goku. However, most of the humans remained stubborn, and didn't put their hands up in defiance, not trusting the two voices that they'd never heard before, even when Vegeta shouted at them to raise their hands, or else they were all going to die, or even when he began to almost _beg_ them to give their energy, to not let Buu destroy their children, their families. They apparently didn't believe him, despite the desperation clear in his voice, believing that it was some demon magic.

However, Videl soon heard a very familiar voice begin to speak, and nearly gasped when her father began to talk to the people of the Earth, asking them to help him beat Majin Buu. And this was what seemed to convince them, apparently, because everyone gave their energy when Hercule asked them to. And then, the Spirit Bomb was done, possibly large enough to end Buu once and for all.

Not to long after they were informed of this fact, Krillin suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure standing in solitude over at the edge of the Lookout, and broke out into a broad grin. "Hey, Piccolo!" he greeted, causing everyone to turn to the Namekian, who smirked the slightest bit at them in return, white cape flowing behind him in the wind.

Chi-Chi suddenly let out a gasp, her eyes filling up with tears. "Oh, Gohan!"

The moment that the name was spoken, Videl felt a strong, warm hand on her shoulder. Startled, not truly putting two and two together, she turned around to see…

Oh, god, it was him. With his black, spiky, gravity-defying hair, handsome features that seemed slightly less boyish than the last time she'd seen him, a slight smile on his face, and those amazingly intoxicating obsidian eyes…it was Gohan. He was here.

She turned around to completely face him, her mind almost not comprehending the whole thing, looking up at his face, mouth slightly agape in pure shock and disbelief as she just looked at him.

"Hey, Videl," he told her, smiling at her.

So many emotions flooded through her at the moment that he spoke, so many conflicting emotions going through her being. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream at him, she wanted to beat him up, she wanted to hug him…she suddenly reacted on the first impulse that came to her, and the most logical thing to do in that moment.

She suddenly began to beat her fists upon his muscular chest, shouting at him. "You _stupid_ son of a _bitch_!" she shrieked at him as she continued to hit his chest fiercely with her fists, her words coming out quickly and almost incoherently, her voice slightly cracking as she held back tears. "What the hell is _wrong_ with you, you stupid _ass_!? I was freaking _worried_!"

Then, the tears that she had been holding back broke through, and she collapsed into light sobs on Gohan's chest, suddenly stopping her assault and collapsing against him as she cried, her hands resting in fists on his chest as she cried, letting out all of the fear and grief and worry that she'd felt, thinking that he was dead and then knowing that he wasn't and everything that happened—

"Hey, hey, Videl, it's OK," Gohan tried to soothe her, truly unsure of why she was reacting this way. "I really don't want you to cry," he added, in a vain attempt to somehow calm her down, this statement only seeming to make her cry even more. Reacting on impulse, he wrapped his arms around her gently, hugging her to him while she sobbed into his chest, shaking her head. Why was she _crying_, though? Some things about girls would just never make sense to Gohan.

"_I_ should be the one crying," Chi-Chi sniffed, lightly biting her knuckles as she watched her eldest son, wanting nothing more than to run over to him and smother him in a hug.

Bulma grinned at her friend. "He's growing up, Chi, it's time to accept that," she told her.

"I know, but…" Chi-Chi's reply broke off into another gasp as she saw someone else coming towards her, the little boy who looked so much like her husband, her precious little baby…Bulma turned to see where Chi-Chi was looking, and caught sight of her little boy as well.

Trunks and Goten both stopped in front of their mothers obediently, Trunks crossing his ankles and his arms behind him, Goten grinning brightly at them.

Both the mothers' eyes filled with tears, and each of them grabbed their respective sons and began to cry with relief. Goten laughed as his mother hugged him so tightly he was sure that a normal human would've suffocated if they'd been in her grip, not objecting to the kisses that she was placing all over his face and how much she was gushing about how happy she was that he was safe—he returned the hug eagerly, glad to see Mommy again, especially after he'd seen Buu kill her mercilessly. Trunks made no objection as his mother smothered him with her embrace, laughing the slightest bit as well as he allowed himself to return the warm gesture, while she fussed over him, kissing his cheeks and his forehead and his nose and brushing his hair out of his eyes and making sure that he was perfectly all right, that there wasn't a single scratch on him. He was honestly just relieved to see her live again, to see her aqua hair and bright blue eyes once more, having erased the fact that she might have _ever_ been dead from his mind with determination.

Gohan watched what was going on over Videl's head, and smiled as he watched his mother fiercely hug Goten and fret over him, just like Bulma was doing to Trunks. He then looked back down, where Videl was still sobbing slightly, now gripping his orange _gi_ tightly in her fists.

"Hey, it's OK, I'm here, Videl," he told her gently, soothingly, in an attempt to calm her down. He really didn't like it when he saw tears coming from Videl; it caused something deep within his gut to twist, and it just wasn't _her_. He would rather have her smiling or laughing, and what made it worse was that _he_ was possibly the cause of her sobs.

"God damn it, Gohan…" she whispered, her voice slightly raspy from the crying that she'd done before, still shaking with the foreboding threat of more tears as she buried her face in his chest. "You scared me half to _death_ back there, I thought you were _dead_!"

"I'm here now," he offered, slightly unsure of what to say.

"You promised that you'd come back…and when I thought that you broke that promise…you'd promised me that you'd come back!" she croakily shouted at him. "I thought that you might've been _gone_!"

"But I'm not; I'm here, Videl, I promised that I'd come back for you," Gohan told her quietly.

Videl sniffled, lowering her voice even more now as she fought back more tears—damn it, where were all these tears _coming_ from? She couldn't ever think of a time in her life when she'd cried as much as she had done today. Then again, she could never think of a day as emotionally tiring and draining as today, either.

"Gohan…you have to promise never to do that again," she told him, her voice barely audible. "Damn it, Gohan, you can't _scare_ me like that again. Promise never to do something like that again, please…"

Gently reaching down, Gohan took her jaw in his hand, much like he had done before he'd gone to fight Buu as he promised her. The situation was almost exactly the same, his eyes as intense as they were before, and yet gentle at the same time as his warm, slightly calloused fingers held her chin gently, tilting it up so that they made eye-contact, her blue eyes still slightly shiny with unshed tears and lightly puffy and red from her previous crying.

"I promise," he told her, and in response, she suddenly threw her arms around him completely and hugged him like there was no tomorrow, holding back her sobs as she now buried her head in the crook of his neck. His arms once again encircled around her, hugging her in return, and she felt the warmth emanating from his chest, his heartbeat against her cheek, the steady thumping seeming to create a soothing rhythm, showing that he was very, very alive.

"I missed you," she confessed in a quiet whisper. "I couldn't bear the thought of not ever being able to see your stupid face again."

Gohan couldn't help but smirk once more, slightly shaking his head. "I missed you, too, Videl," he told her truthfully, going down to gently breathe in the perfect scent that was _her_, his acute Saiyan senses drinking it in with relish and relief, glad that she was alive.

Eventually, she let go of him, self-consciously wiping her eyes, getting rid of the stupid tears as she brushed her eyes against her sleeve. When she looked up at Gohan's smiling face, she couldn't help but smile back at him, albeit a slightly trembling one, but still a smile.

Not too long after that, the heroes returned, victorious in their battle with Buu.

Everyone, who had been absentmindedly talking with each other, suddenly turned when the familiar figures began to walk towards them. Their clothes were all tattered and ripped, but it was them nonetheless, with Goku wearing the big Son grin, and Vegeta simply having his arms across his chest, his face stoic as ever. Dende was following behind them.

Instantly, Chi-Chi, Goten, and Gohan all ran up to Goku, and Gohan was the first to notice that there was no more halo above his father's head. Pure joy overrode everything—his father was somehow _alive_ once more. Goten was the first to launch himself into their father's arms, and Goku let out a slightly surprised grunt at the impact, having not expected the strength with which Goten had launched himself towards him, but he didn't mind as he returned the boy's hug, holding him high up in the air and slightly tossing him up and down.

Trunks was the first one to reach Vegeta, and he grabbed his father's hand eagerly, tugging on it with eagerness. "Dad, you're back for good now, right?" the little lavender-haired prince asked, noting with extreme pleasure that the halo that his father _would_ have had if he was still dead was absent from him.

After a few moments of silence, Vegeta nodded down at his son. "Yes, boy, I'm back," he told Trunks, causing the little boy to smile brightly before he went over to Goten to eagerly talk, both of them overjoyed at the fact that their fathers were alive.

Bulma went up to her husband, smiling at him with pure relief as she took him in once more with her eyes, his handsome features and muscular body and shock of obsidian hair and dark, intense, amazing onyx eyes. Her lip was trembling slightly, however, but she bit it to stop the tears from falling.

"You're really back, right?" she whispered, almost unable to believe it, needing to hear it confirmed in his own voice as he spoke to her, even though he'd just promised it to their son—the volume which she spoke with also the loudest that she could speak without worrying about bursting into tears.

He nodded in reply to her, and cracked a slight smirk at her. "You can't get rid of me _that_ easily, woman," he told her, haughtiness in his tone.

Bulma gave a shaky laugh, before that laugh suddenly broke into a sob, and, not caring if anyone saw her, she ran to her prince, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him and never wanting to let go again. She felt him tense slightly in surprise from her sudden action, but in a moment, his body relaxed once more, and she felt his warm, muscular arms slowly and slightly hesitantly wrap around her as well, holding her around the waist. She was unable to hold it in anymore, and held him tightly, before she pulled back and suddenly kissed him. She was even more pleased when she felt him respond, knowing that no one was watching them—he would've probably pushed her away otherwise. The only other option was that they _were_ being watched but that he didn't care, but she would put her money more on the first reason than the second as to why he was returning her shows of affection…she didn't care, however, and when she pulled away from their kiss, slightly breathless, she was unable to hold the tears in anymore and continued to cry even more into his shoulder. In all honesty, the Saiyan prince was lost with the oddly fluctuating emotions of his wife—first her laughing, then crying, then hugging him, then kissing him, then crying again…females were creatures that were absolutely impossible to understand.

Dende had run over into Mr. Popo's waiting arms, and the chubby black genie hugged the young god with relief while Piccolo watched the two with a smirk on his face, nodding to Dende as well.

Hercule came into view. Videl saw him, and she broke out into a bright smile, while he nearly burst into tears as he saw her.

"VIDEL!" he shouted in joy, running up to his little girl and hugging her as if he'd never let her go ever again. Videl laughed, hugging her father back, glad to see him after everything that had happened.

"Hi, Daddy," she said, grinning.

"Oh, Videl, sweet pea, I was so worried about you!" he blubbered, while she simply returned his hug warmly. He finally pulled away, tears still slightly in his eyes as she smiled back at him.

It was then that she caught sight of the last person who was coming towards them, and let out an ear-piercing shriek. At this, many of the others turned to see what she was screaming about, and they, too, got startled, some of them even crouching into defensive positions. Majin Buu, the first, chubby one, was there, standing as if he fit right into their little group.

"No, no, guys, it's OK!" Goku said hastily in an attempt to make them refrain from attacking him. They looked at him oddly, before they cast one last suspicious glance at Buu before continuing with their reunions with each other. One person, however, didn't seem to trust Majin Buu at all—Trunks was angrily grinding his teeth together, his power beginning to rise as he became angry at Majin Buu, crouching into something that seemed like an attack position. Goku, seeing the crouch that Trunks had unconsciously settled in, getting ready to strike the pink man, and quickly tried to calm him down.

"It's all right, son," Vegeta suddenly told the boy, Bulma still hugging him as he internally rolled his eyes at her clinginess but not pushing her off, knowing that she would only become even more pissed off if he did so. However, the tone with which Vegeta spoke seemed to imply that it was _not_ all right, but Trunks listened to his father's words. "He's a…_guest_." The last word was laced with the disgust with which he felt about the idea of Majin Buu staying on Earth, but the idiotic third-class clown Kakarot had said that it would be fine, and had once again rubbed the whole "You got a second chance so why shouldn't he?" thing in his face. He hated when Kakarot resorted to that, but had allowed Majin Buu to live, even though he just _knew_ that this would backfire on them eventually.

After seeing that Trunks was calmed down enough not to go crazy and try and kill Majin Buu, Goku smiled as he went back over to his family, where Gohan was grinning brightly at him, and Chi-Chi's shock was still on her face, seeing that he had no more halo on his head. Goku gave his oldest son a tight hug, before he let go and turned to his wife, who was looking at him with tears now in her eyes.

"Goku…are you really back? Does this mean that…we can all live together?" she asked, almost breathless with shock, her tone almost daring to hope but waiting for the blow to reality that was sure to come, because it was just too much to believe, she was sure she was just getting her hopes up only to have them knocked down once more.

However, Goku grinned at her widely. "Yep, I'm back for good," he told her. "And yeah, we can, if you guys can manage to actually put up with me," he joked.

Chi-Chi's lip trembled slightly as she tried to smile, but then she let out a choked sob and then began to cry in her husband's chest, sobbing with pure happiness after he had spoken. She soon felt his arms wrap around her almost instinctually, and this only caused her to break down even more—she had thought that she would never feel her husband hold her like this after the Cell Games and his death, but here he was, holding her so close to his familiar body, he was _here_, he was back with his family…she might have thought that she had forgotten how it had felt to be held in his arms, to be dwarfed slightly by his large frame, but now such a thought seemed impossible, for how could she ever forget this?

"Hey, hey, Chi, don't cry, it's all right," Goku reassured her gently, hugging her even closer to him. She sniffled, slightly, unable to control the tears. "Shhh, shhh, Chi-Chi, I'm back." She brought her eyes up to look at him, still filled with the many tears that remained unshed, and he wore a gentle grin on his face as he gently tucked a stray strand of her black hair behind her ear. "I love you, Chi," he told her honestly.

Even though he'd told her this before, the sudden confession of his love made her laugh for a moment with a smile before she broke down into sobs once more, clinging to him as he hugged her back, whispering, "I love you, too, Goku, I love you so much…"

Seeing that their parents needed a few private moments, Goten and Gohan knew that they should make themselves scarce for a little while. After giving his big brother a quick hug, which Gohan returned, Goten went over to Trunks to talk with the other little half-Saiyan boy. Gohan looked around the great palace, seeing that most people were preoccupied with greeting each other or celebrating—he saw Bulma and Vegeta still in a corner, with the Saiyan prince wearing a look that he'd rather kill himself than risk being seen by all these people but not pushing her away; his mother was currently hugging his father and crying while Goku soothed her, hugging her close; Trunks and Goten were playing, talking eagerly about the battle and about other things, romping around the circular Lookout; Yamcha was avidly talking to Master Roshi, Puar, Oolong, and the Ox King, telling them about the Otherworld Tournament; Dende was eagerly telling Mr. Popo about everything that had happened, while Piccolo listened, every now and then adding to the conversation, contributing things Dende hadn't been sure of, while the younger Namekian thanked him every time and agreed with him before avidly continuing the tale; Krillin was with his family once more, and was talking with Hercule, while Majin Buu stood behind his friend, looking at Krillin's family curiously, while Marron returned the look with the same avid curiosity from behind her mother—Eighteen had placed herself between her daughter and Majin Buu as a gesture of protectiveness, her other hand on Krillin's shoulder, Marron peering out from behind her leg as she looked at the chubby pink thing with interest, and then laughing as the little puppy, Bee, ran up from behind Majin Buu and began to lick her face with eagerness.

However, there was one person that wasn't doing anything, simply watching everyone greet each other, smiling as she watched her father peak to Krillin and as Bee began to play with Marron. Gohan watched her for a few moments, and it seemed as if she sensed his eyes on her, because she turned her head and sent a small smile his way, blue eyes sparkling with good humor and happiness.

It was then that Gohan was suddenly reminded of the very important thing that he had to tell her, suddenly remembering as she looked at him with her beautiful eyes once more, her face alit in the smile, the same smile and face that had helped him stay alive when he'd believed that he was dying, what had helped him hold onto his grip on life.

Making sure that she still had eye-contact with him, Gohan slightly jerked his head to the side, in a motion that was just about universally accepted as that one wanted to speak with someone else, before he began to walk over to a slightly secluded part of the Lookout. Curiously, after a moment of hesitation, Videl followed him, confused, wondering where he was leading her.

Gohan soon stopped in a location not too far from where everyone else was—they were still able to hear everyone talking to each other, but unable to make out exactly what they were saying, and they were currently out of their sight, hidden by one of the walls of the palace. He waited patiently for Videl to reach him, and she soon did, looking around her with curiosity. Seeing that there was nothing exactly special here, she looked at Gohan, now right in front of him.

"So, Gohan, what is it?" Videl asked him, unsure of what he wanted to talk about that couldn't be said in front of everyone. Her mind was trying to remind her of something, trying to tell her that she wanted him to know something, but the emotional overload of everything was making her memory really crappy, she knew she wanted to tell him something, she had wanted to…

Gohan looked as if he was seriously contemplating something, and, when he remained silent, Videl got slightly annoyed. "Hey, are you still there?" she asked him with an internal roll of her eyes. When he didn't respond, simply looking at her with those intense onyx eyes, she let out a slightly frustrated huff as she looked at him in irritation, wondering what was going through his head.

"Gohan, do y—"

And then, she was suddenly stopped, as Gohan, in a bold, daring move, suddenly planted his lips against her own.

Videl's eyes flew open in pure shock the moment that his lips touched hers, frozen, having not expected that from him, having expected _anything_ else but _this_ coming from Gohan.

And then, her eyes suddenly began to close as she allowed herself to return the kiss, her arms suddenly wrapping around his thick, corded neck, gripping his thick black hair. Gohan's arms wrapped around her waist, holding her closer to him, before he brought one hand up to the back of her head, tilting it upwards so he could gain more access, and Videl didn't resist. She'd never felt like this before, so many warm, fuzzy emotions flowing through her, emotions that she honestly had no intention of getting rid of, honestly surprised that Gohan, her Gohan, could possibly be so _forward_, so suddenly _sure_ as he kissed her.

This was different from that simple touching of lips back at the small lake. This one was more emotional, seeming to convey all of the grief and fear that they had both felt, and also showing the pure joy and relief that they were back together again. Their lips moved perfectly against one another's, emotions flooding the two teens that neither of them had felt before. Slowly, ever-so-slowly, both of them seemed to gain more confidence, the kiss becoming the slightest bit more passionate between them, tongues meeting in slight timidity, before each of them gained more confidence as their tongues entwined in that ancient, timeless dance that has been around since the dawn of time. Suddenly, it seemed as if neither of them could get enough of the other's taste, holding each other closer.

It seemed as if they were locked in a timeless bubble that contained just the two of them and no one else. It could've been merely seconds, or minutes, or even hours, but both of them doubted that they would've been able to tell the difference. These emotions flooding through them were overwhelming in a good way, new and warm, neither of them wanting to get rid of them anytime soon.

If it wasn't for the fact that they were living beings and needed to breathe, they weren't sure how long it would've continued. However, both of them eventually had to pull away to take a breath, and the slowly, reluctantly detached from each other, eyes still closed for a few moments before they opened slowly at about the exact same time. Videl's deep blue eyes were meeting Gohan's lovely obsidian ones, so many emotions flowing through their depths. Their breathing was slightly heavy and sped up, able to feel each other's breath on their faces.

Gohan knew that this was the moment, and so he spoke, without shame, without embarrassment, with complete truthfulness:

"I love you, Videl."

Once again, time seemed to stop for her, and those four simple words seemed to echo in her ears. Something within her fluttered, and that warm, perfect, beautiful feeling came back after she heard those words. She looked into his eyes, seeing that he was speaking the truth, seeing the love for her deep within his eyes, and she suddenly felt as if she could do anything, as if she could run a thousand miles tirelessly, or as if she could fly herself to the moon in a single moment.

Unable to speak because of the emotions that were suddenly flowing through her once more, these intense, amazing feelings, she responded in the only way that she could possibly think of now, and this time, _she_ was the one who reached up and kissed him.

Eventually, they broke apart, and Gohan was wearing a slight smirk on his face. Videl was able to smile slightly as she looked at him, arms still wrapped around his neck, never wanting to let him go again. He loved her.

"I love you, too, Gohan," she told him gently, smiling. She felt no shame, none at all, because it was the complete truth. She knew that she'd had to tell him, and she was sure that she would've remembered eventually, but Gohan had beaten her to the punch. As they confessed their love to each other, Videl was suddenly reminded of some of those extremely cheesy movies that have the two lovers gushing all over each other, proclaiming their love over and over in a phony manner. But this was real, she could tell. This was real, true love.

Gohan was smiling at her, eyes alight with relief and happiness as he looked at the girl that he loved, the girl who he now knew loved him back. He then remembered something else that she'd said, and he smirked. "Hey, Videl…do you want to go out on a date with me?"

Videl broke out into a wide smile. "Do you _really_ have to ask that question?" she asked him, almost giddy with delight. Honestly, she had no idea why she was suddenly so _happy_ all of a sudden, so extremely _happy_ and _smiling_ so much, but she had an idea that it had to do with realizing that she'd just heard that the man who she loved also loved her in return, and also that he was asking her out on a date. "Of course I do! When?"

"Well…uhm, how about tomorrow?" he suggested, honestly not sure where they would go. He'd had plenty of time to contemplate such a thing, but it had kind of slipped his mind through everything that had happened today. "We can…uh…"

Videl laughed, knowing that he honestly had no idea when or where they would go for their first date. "Well, I'm sure that you'll figure something out," she told him. "The hard part is gonna be telling my _dad_ about this. But…he said that I could only date guys who were stronger than him, so he can't say no to you," she said with a slight smirk.

Gohan chuckled, shaking his head and how quickly she'd come up with a solution to her own problem. "Well, my parents won't be a problem," he informed her. "I don't think Dad minds me dating anyone, and Mom has been waiting the _longest_ time for us to get together, she'll be _ecstatic_ that it's official now."

She laughed once more as she remembered how Chi-Chi had tried to push both her and Gohan together on a few occasions. "Yeah, I remember the first day that I went over to your house, when she asked when we'd get married and you spat your food in Goten's face," she reminisced fondly, laughing at the slight blush of embarrassment that now appeared on his features.

"Mom's…well, very forward in the things that she wants," he offered as an explanation, tone slightly sheepish. _That_ was probably the understatement of the century—when Chi-Chi had her mind set on something, that woman would do whatever it took to get it done.

"I kinda figured that out myself," she joked, causing Gohan to chuckle slightly once more, looking down at her. Their eyes once again met with intensity and love, the new emotion that they now had a name for, shining in each pair of them, dark, ocean blue meeting polished obsidian. Looking at him, Videl couldn't resist reaching up and planting another kiss against his lips, feeling Gohan respond to her naturally as he returned it, his arms seeming to hold her in a cage that she was none too eager to escape from as they kissed, feeling nothing but utter bliss.

The evil Buu was finally dead, all the dead friends and family were brought back to life, even those who were believed to never be able to return to the world of the living, and the two teenagers finally confessed their love for each other, locked in utter, complete happiness as they kissed each other gently, away from prying eyes.

At that moment, everything was perfect.

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**You guys have no idea how long I've wanted to write this chapter :D I hope that everyone liked it! Once again, I would like to thank you all for reviewing, because we've hit 100 reviews, I'm so happy! XD I treasure each and every one of them, and in fact, most of them prompted me to write this chapter as fast as I could and get it out ASAP.**

**So, how did ya like it? I hope you guys did, I know I enjoyed writing this :) Also, a question for you guys: Where do you want Gohan and Videl's first date to be? I have a few ideas, but I would like to hear some of your opinions on where they should go for their first date, I'd really like to hear what you guys have to say about that :D a few times in the past, some awesome writers have given me ideas for things to put in chapters, and I'd really enjoy hearing where you guys want their first date to be! :D**

**So, that's all I really had to say. Thank you all so much for reading this, and please review! :)**


	10. First Date

**Thank you all so much for the wonderful, considerate, kind reviews that you all gave me! I really loved the fluff in the last chapter, I just couldn't resist, I love pure fluffiness and think that this story wouldn't be about Gohan and Videl's romance if there wasn't fluff :D Anyways, you guys all had really awesome ideas for where their first date should be, I think they were all great, and I might use some of them for their later dates! But their first date is…well, you'll see. I'm not saying anything. Let's just say that…it's a pretty special place for them :D I have many of you to thank for this idea, along with Loudres-Sunrise-Princess, Nabmks, and SierraLarson, who all gave me unintentional ideas for this chapter! And thanks to everyone who has reviewed!**

**Anyways, enough with my rambling, honestly! I'm surprised that I don't annoy the crap out of myself sometimes XD And, now, onto the story! Hope you guys enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer: I-nay on't-day own-ay agon-Dray all-Bay Z-ay. I'm bilingual, guys—I can speak English and Pig Latin. :D**

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Videl had known that she had to tell her father about her going out with Gohan (she still got a feeling of disbelief and of immeasurable happiness when she thought of that, because it had seemed so unlikely, and yet, here she was). She knew that he had a right to know, because he was her _father_, for crying out loud, but that didn't mean that she was looking _forward_ to it. It was currently the reason why she was anxiously tapping her foot against the floor, leaning back slightly in her chair as she kept on stealing glances at the front door, waiting for the doorbell to ring and for hell to soon follow.

Before they had parted ways on the Lookout yesterday, Videl had reminded Gohan that they needed to tell Hercule about their newfound relationship, and had proposed a possible way for them to go about this—she suggested that he come by her house around one-o'-clock-ish to pick her up to wherever they were going for their date the next day (because she had complete trust in him that he would choose a good place). While he was there, they would tell Hercule about it, which seemed a _slightly _safer option than taking Hercule to Gohan's house and explaining it there, with a hyperactive seven-year-old, a slightly obsessed mother who was intent on getting them to marry, and a father who had been dead for seven years but was now brought back to life. And even Videl's plan seemed not so good, but they had no other choice—Videl didn't want to keep any secrets behind her father's back, not one as important as this. Gohan had agreed with the sensibility of her plan, which was what led to today.

Videl's eyes kept flitting to the clock on the wall, which now read around 1:07. The long blue hand which was constantly moving for the seconds seemed to be moving at an agonizingly slow pace, as if trying to prolong the anxiety that she was feeling as she drummed her fingers lightly against the table, biting her lip. Her father was once again in the living room, watching some television, along with Majin Buu, who was having fun learning about normal life with humans. It was slightly weird, having a pink blob living with them, but Videl accepted it, since Majin Buu wasn't a rampaging killing machine anymore.

Small yips sounded near her feet, and Videl smiled as she saw Bee come up to her, yipping happily as he placed his front paws against her leg. Obligingly, she picked the little puppy up and placed him in her lap, and he barked with excitement as he tried to scramble up her body. She helped him, and couldn't resist laughing as his little, slightly rough pink tongue licked her face with eagerness. If one good thing had come out of this whole thing with Majin Buu staying with them, it was the fact that she now had a little puppy, too.

"Hey there, boy," she said, smiling as Bee pulled away for a moment and yipped happily at her, his tail wagging at almost a furious pace with excitement and happiness. She petted him for a bit, and he closed his eyes for a few moments in contentment, before he licked her face once more, making her laugh again with his spontaneity.

"So, whaddaya think of it here? You like it?" she asked him. Almost as if he was answering her, his big, dark brown eyes brightened and he yipped twice at her, bringing his small black nose to touch hers before lightly licking her cheek once again, making her smile at him, her temporary anxiety forgotten. She brought them both down to the floor and grabbed one of the toys that they had bought for the dog yesterday, sat cross-legged on the floor as she put the puppy down, and began playing tug-of-war with him gently with the white rope when he picked up the other knotted end of it.

However, it suddenly came back as, not too long after she had begun to play with the dog, the doorbell rang.

Videl's eyes suddenly snapped towards the door, and her anxiousness returned once more. Bee seemed to notice her slight change in attitude, noticing her suddenly slack grip as he managed to get the rope easily out of her hand, and he dropped the toy for a moment, accidentally tossing it slightly under a bookshelf, as he went up to her, placing his paws in her lap as he looked at her with confusion, seeming to let out a bark that sounded almost questioning. She turned to look at him and sighed slightly in reply.

"Well, this is it," she told Bee, shaking her head slightly. A thousand different scenarios flashed through her head about how this could go—most of them weren't good at all.

She got up, pushing herself off of the floor as she felt Bee running slightly around her ankles, anticipating who was coming into the house excitedly, yipping with enthusiasm. Videl heard her father ask her to get the door for him, and she rolled her eyes slightly as she sighed, calling back that she'd heard him and that she had already begun to do so. She went up to the door, unlocked it, and opened it.

Just as he'd said, Gohan was there, wearing the lightest of grins that always seemed to be ever-present on his face. She noticed that he was carrying a picnic basket in his right hand, and was dressed in dark blue shorts and a black T-shirt, his feet only clad in a pair of black sandals.

"Hey, Videl," he greeted her the instant that she opened the door, his grin getting brighter at the sight of her. Seeing that grin, that easy smile, Videl couldn't help but grin back slightly at him in return—damn it, why was that smile so freaking _infectious_? However, seeing his familiar grinning face also seemed to drain Videl slightly of her previous anxiety, making her believe that things would surely turn out all right.

"Hi, Gohan," she returned, smiling at him. Bee, upon recognizing the new person after a quick sniff, began to yip in happiness as he ran around Gohan's ankles, his tongue lolling out as he barked eagerly at realizing that he now might have a new friend to play with. Videl let Gohan into the house, and grinning, the boy bent down to quickly scratch the puppy behind the ears, causing Bee to wag his tail eagerly, before he ducked away to go and grab the white rope that he had been playing with before, so that he could play with Gohan now.

Gohan stood back up, wearing a slight smile on his face as he watched the puppy sniff around for the toy, wondering where he had put it. The young man then turned to Videl, and, after his eyes quickly darted around to make sure that no one else was looking, he bent down for a second to steal a small, innocent kiss from her soft lips. She was smiling as he pulled back, and he, too, was grinning lazily, almost in a haze of happiness.

Yesterday, after they all had returned to their homes, there had been even more tearful reunions as the fact truly sunk in that Goku was staying with them. There had been a few tense moments, where both Chi-Chi and Gohan had told him exactly how they felt about him leaving them for seven years, but it was gone after Goku agreed that maybe it hadn't been the best choice for him to make, and promised never to leave them like that again. Then, Chi-Chi had made an absolutely astounding dinner for them, and while she was cooking her three boys "played" together outside—which technically meant that they were sparring, but not meaning to hurt each other in the least, sometimes not even taking it seriously, changing it to a game every so often. Then, they had Chi-Chi's fabulous dinner, and the Ox King was there, too, which made everything even more fun. Then, while he had been getting ready for bed, he had come up with the perfect spot to go on with his date with Videl, which made him grin in pride. All of that had made it a very nice night for everyone.

"So, where's Hercule?" Gohan asked, looking around to see if he would make an appearance. In reply, Videl jerked her head in the direction of the living room, where her father sounded like he was cheering a team on, probably watching basketball or football, the two favorite sports of his that he watched on television.

"It's a good thing you're bulletproof, Gohan," Videl told him in an only slightly joking manner, part of her actually serious. One of her played out scenarios had her father pulling out one of his many guns and shooting Gohan point-blank on the spot.

He chuckled, taking her hand and gently squeezing it. "I'm sure that it won't be that bad," he told her reassuringly, before he was interrupted by Bee, who had his small paws up against Gohan's shin, his little tail wagging excitedly as he showed that he'd found the rope toy, his tiny teeth holding one end of it. Gohan laughed as he bent down to lightly play tug-of-war with the puppy, while Videl smiled lightly at the scene, before she went to go get her father for the inevitable.

As she went into the living room, Hercule's gaze instantly transitioned to her, probably expecting to be told who had been at the door. Majin Buu was next to him, stuffing his face with sweets and candy as he eagerly watched the football game that was on the TV.

"So, Videl, who was it?" Hercule asked his daughter, taking a nacho from the tray that was between him and Buu, dipping it in cheese, before throwing it into his mouth.

"Dad, it's Gohan," she told him. She had expected him to react swiftly, but was honestly surprised when his reaction was currently none other than a slight widening of the eyes, before he nodded, getting up off of the sofa.

"I wonder why he's here," he mulled to himself, going over to the other room where Gohan was waiting. Videl came up next to him, and both of them entered the room to see Gohan still playing tug-of-war with Bee, being extremely gentle with the little puppy as he lightheartedly pulled the rope, while Bee was pulling with as much might as he could, growling slightly as he played, causing Gohan to laugh.

Then, Gohan looked up, having sensed Videl's energy come back into the room. He grinned at them, letting go of the rope as Bee tumbled backwards slightly because of this, before the little puppy yipped with happiness, believed that he'd beaten Gohan at their little game. He tugged the white rope into his front paws, gnawing on the end that he'd been tugging on before, one of his paws playing lightly with the other end. Gohan stood up, going over to them with an easy grin.

"Hello, Mister Satan," Gohan greeted politely, wanting to make a better impression on Hercule than the other few times that he'd run into Videl's father. He really wanted this to go well, so that Videl wouldn't feel any strain on their date. His mother, as predicted, had been absolutely ecstatic when she had found out, and was intent on already planning their wedding out for them; his father hadn't seemed to really have a problem with things like this before, and had just nodded along while Chi-Chi had almost gone hysterical with her happiness; even Goten had been happy, because he liked Videl, too, so it was OK with him.

"Hey, kid," Hercule replied, nodding towards the other teenager in the room. "So, what're you doing here? Did you wanna talk to me?"

Here was when the news would have to come out, and the part that Videl had been dreading the most. She went over to Gohan, standing next to him, and, for her reassurance, he linked their hands together once again, fingers entwined. She squeezed his hand slightly, a silent thanks for the help, before she turned to her father, whose eyes had widened slightly at her actions.

"Actually, Dad…" she began, her voice slightly awkward before she decided that she should tell him as soon as possible, not trying to stall. It would only prolong the inevitable, so she decided to get it out right away. "Daddy, Gohan came over here to pick me up for our date."

The look on Hercule's face at any other moment probably would've been completely hilarious, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head as his jaw dropped, his head constantly swiveling back and forth between his daughter and the boy, who were still holding hands. This was currently going better than Videl had expected—she thought that he would either faint on the spot, or start screaming at them.

"Wh-what…?" Mr. Satan finally managed to stutter out in pure shock. "D-d-date…?"

"We weren't dating during the Tournament, like you thought we were," Videl told him, and Gohan's eyes widened slightly at this new bit of information. He hadn't heard that Hercule had apparently thought that they were going out as the WMAT was taking place, but he decided not to comment on that now. "But after everything that happened…well, we decided that we want to be in a relationship, so now we _are_ dating."

Now, Videl was beginning to believe that her father was going to faint, his skin becoming the slightest bit paler, his eyes seeming to be focused on their joined hands.

"B-b-but…" Hercule was probably going into shock. "Y-you're only al-allowed to—"

"_No_, Dad, I swear to _god_, if you say that I'm only allowed to date someone stronger than you, I have a retaliation," Videl interrupted, annoyed now with her father as she closed her eyes to stop herself from exploding. "Gohan is _much_ stronger than you, Daddy, trust me…in fact," she continued, her tone now holding suspicion and slight anger in it as she suddenly glared at her dad, "Gohan told me a very interesting piece of information, Dad. You see, he told me that _you_ weren't the one to really beat Cell—the person who _really_ killed Cell is Gohan himself. He was that little boy at the Cell Games, the one that you guys all called the 'water boy'. What I'd like to know, _Dad_, is why you took credit for something that you had never done, why you _lied_ to the world…and to _me_."

The air had seemed to grow tense, and as Videl had spoken, Hercule had paled even more as he looked at his daughter's accusing glare. The only thing keeping Videl from collapsing at that moment was her hold on Gohan, because the information had suddenly hit her so hard—her father had lied to the entire world about it for _seven_ _years_, and had lied to _her_ as well. Deciding not to say anything at that moment, Gohan simply supported his new girlfriend (it always caused a small thrill to go through him when he thought about that fact) and lightly squeezed her hand.

"Videl…honey, I…" Hercule was honestly at a loss for words, unable to explain to his daughter just why he had done what he did.

Seeing that Hercule needed help, Gohan decided to add his own piece. "Videl, I'm actually kinda glad that he took credit for killing Cell," he told her, and Videl's blue eyes snapped towards him instantly, wordlessly demanding him to explain. "Remember, my father had just died during the whole battle with Cell—I don't think I would've dealt with the fame very well at that time, and my mom was pregnant, too. All I wanted was privacy, and a chance at a slightly normal life. That couldn't exactly happen if everyone knew that _I_ was the one who killed Cell, and it wouldn't have been good on my mother, either, and Goten would've grown up in a different environment than he has, without fame and fortune and cameras surrounding him almost all the time. And, if the papers somehow found out about our friendship with Bulma, then _everything_ would go down the drain, and not only would the paparazzi increase again in Capsule Corp., but it would _never_ allow us to be left alone. I didn't want that kind of life, Videl."

"But that still doesn't explain his actions," she shot back.

"He, in a way, _did_ help with defeating Cell," Gohan said quietly, and, in shock, Hercule's gaze shot towards the boy. He couldn't be saying…

"Yes, Mister Satan," Gohan said with a small nod and a slightly grave and serious tone, as if the man had spoken his thoughts out loud. His face had told Gohan everything. "If you hadn't been brave enough to do what you had done back there, I probably wouldn't have been able to defeat Cell." If Mr. Satan hadn't been brave enough to pluck up the courage and actually listen to Android #16's plea, picking up his head, the only part of his body left of him, and throwing him in front of the boy, Gohan wasn't sure if he'd _ever_ had made the Super Saiyan 2 transformation. Maybe he would have, and, then again, maybe he wouldn't have, and the world would've been destroyed. No one would know, but Gohan knew that Hercule _did_ have a slight hand in helping him defeat Cell, being the liaison that was needed between Sixteen and Gohan.

Videl seemed slightly skeptical of this, not exactly ready to lose her argument so easily, but she pondered what her boyfriend (holy _crap_, she had a boyfriend. It was still sometimes a shock) said for a moment. She'd received a similar comment about it from the green guy, Piccolo, when Buu had oddly agreed to wait because she was Hercule's daughter or some crap like that. Piccolo had said that her father had actually gone against Buu like everyone had said, but had somehow also managed to earn his trust, be the first person who the pink person ever trusted. Hell, Piccolo had even said that he actually _deserved_ his title as "Champion of Earth", even though he wasn't _nearly_ as strong as he claimed he was.

Eventually, she sighed, shaking her head. "Daddy," she said eventually, looking at her father with a mixture of emotions in her eyes, "it's not that I hate you. I just wish that you didn't lie to _me_ about it, you know?"

"Videl, sweet pea, I never wanted to lie to you about anything," Hercule said quietly. "It just seemed so good at the time, and after a while, there was no _way_ I could back out of it…"

Videl shook her head. "Just please, Dad, don't be so pompous and showy all the time," she condescended, lightly pinching the bridge of her nose. "It embarrasses me a _lot_."

Hercule smiled a bit. "I promise, sweetheart," he told her sincerely, realizing that she didn't blame him and that Gohan's words had somehow made her see sense a bit. Quickly, she let go of Gohan's hand to give her father a quick hug, and they both embraced for a moment. "I'm so, so sorry I lied to you, Videl," Hercule told his daughter truthfully.

"It's OK, Dad, I forgive you," Videl replied with a small smile, unable to stay mad at her father for long. She pulled away, and then went back to her original position beside Gohan, taking his hand again. "But, Dad…Gohan and I wanted to let you know about _us_ today. We decided that you should know, since Gohan already told his family, so all we had to do was tell you about it."

At that, Hercule remembered what this conversation had previously been about, and his eyes hardened the slightest bit at that. He looked at Gohan, glaring daggers at the boy at the moment, but he suddenly felt his anger begin to evaporate slowly as he looked at Gohan's gentle onyx eyes. In that moment, Hercule knew that the boy cared for his daughter immensely—it was clear in his dark eyes. And he definitely _was_ stronger than him…probably one of the strongest people in the _world_…and he could tell that Videl cared for him in return…

Hercule let out a slight sigh of defeat, realizing that he couldn't possibly have an argument against Gohan yet. So far, the boy had done absolutely nothing wrong. However, that didn't mean that he couldn't give Gohan a piece of his mind on how he wanted his little girl treated.

"Well…kid, you _better_ not hurt Videl, you hear me?" Hercule demanded as he looked at Gohan with the protectiveness all fathers had towards their daughters. "You better treat my daughter the way she _deserves_ to be treated, you got that? And if you do something to hurt her, you'll have _me_ to answer to."

Gohan had to struggle to keep a straight face on—the thought of Hercule actually being able to do _anything_ to him, though, was enough to send him in gales of laughter, and it took quite a bit of self-control and willpower not to crack up on the spot. "I understand, Mister Satan," Gohan replied, forcing back his slight snickers, struggling to remain serious as Hercule looked him straight in the eye.

Eventually, Hercule's gaze lost some of its intensity, and it seemed that he was satisfied with what Gohan had said in reply, that he had been speaking the truth. He nodded at the boy with slight reluctance, before he sighed again.

"She better be home before eight," was all he said, before he sent back into the living room to watch his football game with a slight grumpiness about him. Seeing that he was going back into the different room, Bee's ears perked up, and he yipped as he followed his owner into the room, picking up his previously dropped white rope and dragging it with him into the room with the television set.

Videl exchanged a glance with Gohan. "Well," she finally said, "that went _much_ better than I expected."

Gohan laughed, shaking his head at her. "Yeah," he agreed, grinning, before he went over to the picnic basket, picking up from where he had placed it on the chair. "So, you ready to go? Oh, and by the way, you need to bring your bathing suit with you again."

Videl raised her eyebrow at him in skepticism. "All right," she condescended. "Lemme go upstairs and throw it on really quickly, OK?"

He nodded, and she grinned at him for a moment before she dashed upstairs into her room, shuffling through her closet for the only bathing suit that she currently owned. She found it, grinned, and quickly undressed herself before putting the bikini on, and then threw the clothes that she had been wearing back on over it. She then ran back down the stairs, where Gohan was waiting patiently for her, halfway out of the door already. When she realized that he was holding it open for her, Videl couldn't resist a slight laugh—he was such a _gentleman_ at times. She went out, followed closely by Gohan—upon closer inspection, she suddenly noticed that his shorts were the same swimming trunks that she'd seen him wear before.

"So, where are we headed?" Videl asked. In reply, Gohan began to float in the air, while Videl mimicked him.

"It's a surprise," he replied, grinning that damned grin of his, except this time it was taunting, too, as he teased her lightly. She rolled her eyes, letting out a slightly annoyed sound.

"I'm pretty sure that I told you before that I greatly dislike surprises," she said sourly.

Gohan chuckled. "Well, I'm _sure_ that you'll like this surprise," he reassured her. She looked at him with slight suspicion on her blue eyes, and then shrugged as she followed him, their flying at a leisurely pace. When she started to slightly pass Gohan, and Gohan went slightly in front of her, the two teens exchanged a small look, the challenge gleaming in their eyes, before they blasted off together, racing.

It was a quick race—Videl had gotten rather fast, but it was still nothing compared to Gohan's speed, she was slightly disgruntled to figure one. Once again, he always remained right out of her reach—he sometimes turned around and gave her an infuriating smirk, but she knew that he could blast off and simply leave her, and was grateful that he was keeping it at a decent pace so that she wouldn't feel completely left behind.

Eventually, they seemed to reach the place—Gohan stopped abruptly once more, and Videl quickly stopped herself before she ran into his back that was like a freaking brick _wall_. She managed to catch herself just in time, stopping herself before she collided with the solid mass of muscle that made up his back, as she glared daggers at the back of his head. He turned around, still wearing that stupid, freaking, absolutely perfect grin of his, the grin that made her feel unable to stay mad at him for long, as he began to land. She followed suit, not taking in their surroundings yet, until they touched the floor.

A bright smile slowly made its way to her features as she recognized the beautiful landscape surrounding her, and she turned to Gohan, who was wearing his own slightly knowing smirk on his face as he watched her reaction to where he had taken her.

He had taken her to the lake. His special lake, the one where they had shared their first kiss, the one where they both had felt the first true stirrings of the odd emotion called love within them without even knowing it. The day that everything had seemed to slowly change for them.

"Gohan…it's perfect," she told him with approval, unable to keep the grin off her face.

"I thought that it would be a good spot," he told her truthfully. "It was originally _my_ little lake…but I guess it's _our_ special lake now." He was smiling now at her as he pulled out a large white cloth from the picnic basket. He spread it on the ground, laying it over the grass under a perfectly shady spot near a lovely weeping willow, placing the little thatched basket on one of the corners of the small blanket, while Videl went over and helped him, taking off her sandals and placing them on the other corner of the blanket so that it wouldn't move that much—it should be able to stand against a small, light breeze, also. Gohan followed suit, placing his own shoes the corner opposite where Videl had put hers.

"So, wanna eat first, or do you wanna go swimming?" Gohan asked her.

Videl thought about it for a moment, but the answer came to her in an instant, the only obvious answer, considering who she was with. "Well, I think that we'd better eat lunch first," she suggested, sending him a knowing smirk as he slightly rolled his eyes at that, before they both sat down on the white blanket. Gohan pulled out a few capsules from the picnic basket, before he gave Videl the rest of the basket. She pulled out the food—so many great aromas hit her nose, it was obviously Chi-Chi's home cooking. Next to her, Gohan popped a capsule where enough food to probably feed ten people appeared in front of him, and he suddenly began devouring it at a rapid pace, and yet somehow managing to keep himself slightly neat as well, not getting food all over his face.

The lunch passed by in relative silence—Videl knew better than to try to talk with Gohan while he was eating at such a fast pace, almost as if he hadn't ever had a decent meal in his life. While most people would be utterly disgusted by such a display, Videl had gotten the slightest bit used to it, considering that she'd seen him eat meals before. She calmly ate her own lunch, noticing out of the corner of her eye as she was almost done with the delicious food that Chi-Chi made that Gohan was popping a third capsule of food. She couldn't help but grin slightly as she shook her head and rolled her eyes—how one could eat so much and yet somehow maintain being the physical epitome of perfection would probably be the mystery of the universe.

The two eventually finished their lunches, and put everything away. Not too long after that, Gohan suddenly stood up, threw his T-shirt off, ran towards the lake, and let out a "whoop!" as he jumped in, performing a cannonball. Videl shook her head slightly at his immaturity—she rarely ever saw him acting like such a little kid, because for some reason he always acted with a maturity beyond his years—before she, too, joined him, going over and taking off her shirt and shorts before jumping into the water herself.

They amused themselves much like they had done the first time that they had gone to their lake, with the splashing fights, the unintentional diving contests, and simply swimming together. Gohan impressed Videl with how long he could hold his breath—he came up after five minutes, and said that he could probably keep on going, too, but that he thought that she would be bored simply watching him stay under the water, and she agreed with him. They even played Marco Polo again, and during the game, when they were caught, sometimes small kisses were exchanged between them before they continued to play. Once, Videl had managed to catch Gohan and had accidentally tripped, slightly throwing herself on his bare chest. They were laughing, and they looked into each other's eyes and moved at the same moment as their lips met in a gentle kiss. Neither of them could remember a time when either of them was so blissfully happy, as if they had not a single care in the world, as if they were the only two people in the universe.

Eventually, they had to get out before their skin wrinkled like prunes, and Gohan and Videl got out of the water, sitting together on the while blanket. Videl was leaning against Gohan's bare chest, which she found very comfortable, actually, sitting in between his legs, as one of his arms was wrapped around her waist, holding her close to him as he leaned against the weeping willow tree, both of their legs bent in a relaxed position. He was using his ki to dry them off, and Videl allowed the warm, fuzzy feeling of his energy cocoon them in warmth, smiling—she'd never been in such close proximity to a boy before, not in _this_ way, and yet…it just seemed so…_right_. So perfect.

She felt Gohan's chest rise and fall with his breathing, could feel his strong heartbeat, and she knew that he was thinking about something when she turned around and looked at his face. His features were pensive and slightly anxious, and she had no idea why.

"Hey, Gohan, what's wrong?" she asked, turning around to face him, looking at him curiously.

He didn't reply for a moment, before he finally gathered the courage to speak. "I promised you that I'd tell you everything, Videl," he said quietly as he began to play with a few stray strands of her short black hair, tucking them behind her ear so that her completely beautiful blue eyes were revealed. He let out a slight sigh as he shook his head, but he'd made his decision—what other times would he have to tell Videl about his unique heritage? It was better that she was told sooner rather than later, so that she knew what she was getting into. She seemed to be able to take the shock of information well—she'd taken the fact that he was both Saiyaman _and_ the Gold Fighter rather well, and had also barely even blinked at some of the weirdness of his friends.

She remained silent, waiting for him to speak, so that he could begin at his own pace without any rushing on her part. He took a deep breath, before he shook his head slightly, meeting her gaze with his dark eyes. "Videl, everything that I'm going to tell you about right now is true. Please don't think that I'm crazy, it's all absolutely true. Even though it may seem unbelievable, I'm not making any of this up. OK?"

Videl nodded at him, giving him a slightly reassuring smile. Looking at her face, he let out another sigh, before he began to tell her about…_everything_.

All things considered, Videl took the information that he was a part alien rather well. Of course, she had originally thought that these things were far-fetched, but as Gohan began to explain things about his unique heritage, things began to make sense. The Saiyans had the ability to transform into an even more powerful state, which changed their hair to shining golden and eyes to teal, which would explain why Gohan was able to do that, along with his father and Vegeta, who Gohan had told her was the last pureblooded Saiyan alive besides Goku. It was also why Trunks and Goten had done that thing at their match at the Tournament as well, and why they were so strong for little boys—their Saiyan genes made them extremely strong. It also explained why Gohan ate so much—he literally _needed_ all of that food, because Saiyans had insanely high metabolisms and needed a lot of food to simply _function_. Another strange thing that it had answered was the "purring" noises that he made sometimes, or the slightly animalistic way that he would growl in anger, because Saiyans had also been slightly animalistic because of the Oozaru, or Great Ape form, that was inside of them and that was always released if they looked at a full moon and if they had a tail (_that_ little bit was a very interesting piece of information for Videl, but it also made sense. All the Saiyans had no tails here on Earth, so every full moon there wasn't a giant monkey terrorizing the planet).

After he'd explained it all to Videl, he'd gone quiet and asked if she had any questions for him. Normally, her response would've been hell yeah, can we just go over the _whole_ _thing_ again? But for some reason, it wasn't too surprising to her, and the first question out of her mouth was:

"So that's why you call yourself the Great Saiyaman, huh?"

It had been the first thought that had popped into her mind, oddly, and Gohan seemed to find this amusing as he actually laughed in slight relief, and answered that yes, it was why he'd named his superhero alter-ego Saiyaman.

"You're sure that you have no other questions whatsoever about me now?" Gohan asked to make sure.

"Not off the top of my head, no," she replied. She was taking this information with surprising calmness, she noticed, but, then again, she probably had been expecting something along those lines. Seriously, he could freaking _fly_, bullets bounced off of his skin harmlessly, his reflexes were fast enough that he could actually _catch_ them, he was perfectly sculpted with muscle and built like a concrete _statue_, _and_ he had the ability to change his hair and eye color at will by transforming to an even more powerful state. It was almost _expected_.

"Actually, one more question," Videl suddenly said, wanting to know something. "Are you _seriously_ bulletproof? Like, is Saiyan skin so tough that bullets wouldn't harm you at _all_, not even in the slightest bit?"

"Yes, we Saiyans are truly bulletproof," Gohan answered, amused. The questions that he was receiving from Videl had been _nothing_ like the ones that he had been expecting from her, but he wasn't complaining. Hell, she probably was _used_ to this kind of weird information after hanging out with him for so long, and finding out that he was only half human and half of an insanely powerful alien race was probably one of her theories about his oddness.

She lightly poked the bare skin on his chest, her next question following up with her action. "It's why you feel like a damn brick _wall_, right? Or is that just because of your muscle tone and everything? Are all Saiyans naturally muscular?"

"Yes, our skin is nearly impenetrable by tiny things such as bullets. Well, all the Saiyans that I've seen are naturally muscular, but I don't think that our muscle tone makes us able to deflect bullets—I seriously think it's just our skin, and that combined with our muscles probably makes us feel like 'damn brick walls'." He smirked as he used the words that she had to describe it.

Videl smiled once again, absentmindedly tracing the muscular lines of his chest and abdomen with her finger, silently marveling how someone could possibly be so _built_. "It's also why you and Goten were able to fly so easily, right?" she asked for confirmation, looking up at him and slightly smirking at the way that his eyes slightly closed as she traced the muscles on his skin with a delicate hand.

"Mm…yeah," Gohan answered, dangerously close to purring in his pure contentment at the moment. "I seriously don't believe that you have any questions at all," he finally told her honestly.

"Think about what I've been exposed to, Gohan, when I've hung out with you," she replied matter-of-factly. "Piccolo is freaking _green_—and I just _know_ that he's an alien, too, there's no way he's a human—and, hell, Goku was able to come back from the dead the day of the Tournament! Add that to the fact that Trunks and Goten are abnormally strong for two boys their age, that Vegeta freaking _broke_ the punch machine without visible effort, and that you can do so many things that aren't considered 'normal'—well, I guess my subconscious kinda expected something like this. Don't worry, the shock will probably kick in later."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "It probably will," he agreed with her, bringing a hand up to caress her face. His dark eyes were slightly serious, though, as he asked her, "You seriously don't mind me being half-alien?"

"Why would you think that something like _that_ would change the way that I see you?" Videl asked him in reply. "Well, it doesn't. You keep your power under control, don't you?"

"Yeah…" Gohan replied, unsure of where this was going.

"Then why should you being half-Saiyan have any affect on me, really?" she retorted.

At this, Gohan's eyes seemed to darken, and he shook his head slightly at her as he turned his face momentarily away from her gaze, so that he wouldn't have to look into her eyes as he spoke the next words that she needed to know. "Videl…I…the Saiyans weren't exactly revered out in space, and for good reason, too. They were bred to fight—they were warriors, who fought in battle for the fun of it, who _killed_, and were known as the best killers of the universe, and also some of the most powerful beings as well. They have…an enjoyment for battle…sometimes a bloodlust…just because I'm half human doesn't mean that my Saiyan instincts are diluted. I've felt that bloodlust in the past…I've killed before, given pain and enjoyed it…" He shook his head, hating that he had to tell Videl this, but she had a right to know about the truth about his past, that he wasn't always a hero, that he was, at times, a monster. He fought back the memories of all the times that he'd fought, all the times where he relished in his opponent's screams of pain, taken over by the primal Saiyan animal within him in those few moments, during those battles…

When he felt her hand gently cup his cheek, he turned to look at her with an unreadable emotion in his dark eyes. Self-loathing could be seen flickering in those amazingly dark depths, as well as anger, and regret. "Gohan…that's in the past," she told him, her blue eyes gazing steadily into those slightly troubled onyx ones, the ones which had lost that spark of complete and utter innocence at a very young age. He still retained quite a bit of that innocence, though, but it was obvious that he had been exposed to some things that he shouldn't have been at a young age. "I know that you killed—how do you explain Cell? And I don't blame you for wanting to cause that bastard as much pain as possible. But whatever else you've done…it's been done, and there's nothing that can be done to change that. But you aren't a murderer, Gohan. I don't think you can tell me one time where you didn't hurt someone out of righteous anger."

"But…" Gohan shook his head, unable to believe what she was saying. "You aren't angry with me? But I'm…I'm a monster, Videl."

She suddenly punched him in the chest, and his eyes flew open in shock—not out of pain, but because it was so sudden and unexpected, completely going against how things had been going before. She was suddenly glaring fiercely at him, her blue eyes alight with the fire once more, the fire which Gohan had slowly become attracted to over time. He was giving her a startled, quizzical look, to which she replied with a deadly glare once more.

"Do _not_ say that you are a monster, Gohan," she told him seriously. "Do _not_ even _think_ it. You're a _hero_, you saved _all_ of us all those years ago. Don't you go and say that you're a monster, because you're not. Oh-ho, _no_ you don't Gohan Son," she cut in when she saw him open his mouth, "I swear to god, if you even _begin_ to object, I am going to kick your ass so hard that you'll still be sore a week from now."

At that statement, Gohan couldn't help the slightest of smirks from crossing his lips. "Why, that's not very nice, Videl," he teased lightly.

"No shit, Sherlock," Videl replied with sarcasm dripping from her tone as she rolled her eyes, but it was obvious that she didn't mean it because of the smallest of grins that passed by her features for a moment before she went back to the matter at hand. "Just…Gohan, don't call yourself a monster, OK? You're not. Hell, you're probably the furthest thing from a monster I could ever hope to meet—you're a freaking _angel_, for crying out loud, especially when you turn into the Gold Fighter."

Hearing her tone, the truth that showed that she didn't think of him any less, even when he told her that he had enjoyed in causing others pain, that she still didn't hate him and still cared for him, caused Gohan to relax the slightest bit. He once again caressed her cheek, smiling as her eyes slightly closed at the contact and she leaned into his palm.

"All right—I'm not a monster," he condescended. "But I think that 'angel' is putting it a bit extreme, don't you?"

"Hell no," she replied instantly. "I think it suits you perfectly."

Gohan chuckled, shaking his head slightly—he was sure that there was no other girl quite like Videl in the entire world, and was honestly glad that he'd met her. It was odd—if you had told him a month ago, when he'd first begun attending school, that he and Videl would eventually become friends, and then suddenly realize that they loved each other and would enter a relationship…well, he would've thought you were even crazier than his weird group of family and friends, which was _definitely_ saying something. Now, though, it was so…_natural_ for them to be together, so _right_.

"Well, if you say so, then it _must_ be true," he teased lightly.

"Damn right," Videl shot back with a smirk, causing both her and Gohan to laugh lightly. She then wrapped her arms around his thick, corded neck, embracing him, and both of them leaned in at the same time to capture another kiss from each other's lips. Complete bliss was all that the two teens felt, contentment and utter happiness. When they pulled away, they both were smiling, before Videl gently rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes and resting on his broad chest as she allowed the rising and falling of his breathing and the warmth of his heartbeat and skin lull her into a sense of complete and utter peace. His arms were wrapped around her waist loosely, and then simply sat like that for a little while, Gohan leaning his back against a tree as Videl rested on his chest.

Suddenly, Videl's eyes shot open as she was suddenly hit with a totally random and yet completely awesome idea. She looked up at Gohan, who had felt her slight ki spike slightly as he returned her gaze, looking down on her.

"Hey, I was wondering…" Videl trailed off, wearing the smallest of smirks on her face. "Don't you think that Saiyaman seems kinda…I dunno…_lonely_ now?"

Gohan had a feeling that he knew where this was going—the idea caused him to grin the slightest bit at what she might possibly be insinuating—but he decided to play along with it a bit. "Yeah, I guess he _does_ seem kinda lonely," he replied, as if he was really thinking about it, looking away, almost pensively. It was such an exaggerated expression, though, that Videl couldn't help but laugh at him.

"Well, don't you think that he should have a partner now?" she asked mischievously, grinning at him.

"I suppose he should," Gohan smirked back. "Hm…who should be Saiyaman's partner, though? I wonder…"

Videl laughed, rolling her eyes at his pretend stupidity. "Well, _I_, for one, know that I would _definitely_ like to be his partner."

"Oh, really? And why would the mighty Miss Satan, who is more than capable of taking care of herself, wish to even begin to affiliate herself with the Great Saiyaman?" he asked her teasingly, receiving a slight shove in the chest in return from Videl, before she rewrapped her arms around his neck in mild annoyance when she saw that she didn't even make him budge, and he only laughed as she had tried to move him.

"Because, I'm not sure if you heard this, but Videl Satan is currently going out with the Great Saiyaman's secret identity, Gohan Son," she replied with a roll of her eyes. "One would _think_ that she would want to help her boyfriend fight crime, but obviously, _he_ needs it to be spelled out for him."

Gohan laughed. "I'm just kidding, Videl," he told her, shaking his head. "You would seriously want to fight crime with me, though?"

"Of course," Videl replied incredulously, as if him asking the very question was rather stupid, because the answer was obvious. "Gohan, we've worked together quite a few times in the past…even though most of the time I didn't want your help," she admitted grudgingly, while Gohan chuckled—_that_ had been a severe understatement. Videl knew what he was thinking, rolled her eyes, and continued. "But, seriously, Gohan, I would really like to be your partner in crime-fighting or whatever the hell else you do as Saiyaman," she told him truthfully.

Gohan's smile grew the slightest bit bigger as he saw the truth that was shining within her beautiful blue eyes, the sincerity in her tone. He knew that, if he was going to still be the city's "superhero", that he would probably have none other than Videl at his side. "I really like that idea," he told her with a grin, "but I still don't understand why you would want to be seen with Saiyaman in public. I mean, first, you hated him, and now you're his partner?"

"Well, we can say that I had a change of heart," Videl smirked at him. "Also, I don't think it's _that_ weird. People have seen weirder things these days, such as Majin Buu and actually _dying_, for instance. And also, it's nice to know that, if I ever run into goons with guns, that my partner is literally bulletproof and has reflexes so insanely fast that he can actually _catch_ the damn bullets in the air."

"Ah, so this is more for personal gain than anything, isn't it?" Gohan teased back at her.

"Yep," Videl replied smartly, causing Gohan to chuckle lightly as he brought his hand up to her face once more, tucking one of those stubborn strands of black hair from in front of her eyes to behind her ear, so that he could look completely at her beautiful blue eyes, the eyes that were, at times, completely hypnotic to him. She was smiling, causing her eyes to sparkle once more.

"So…I was thinking, as a name, to be called…the Great Saiyagirl," she offered after a few moments of thought. "But where would I get the costume, and personalize it slightly…"

"You seriously wanna wear the costume and everything?" Gohan asked incredulously. He seemed to recall one time where she had commented on his purely ridiculous his outfit was, and had even once mentioned that she would never be caught _dead_ in such an odd garb, and yet here she was, asking where to get the costume. When she nodded with sincerity, Gohan shook his head slightly at the wonders of the female gender—they never made sense, but it wasn't as if he was complaining right at the moment. "Well, Bulma's the one who gave me my outfit, I'm sure that she wouldn't mind if you came over with me and asked for an outfit for yourself."

"OK, then, it's settled," Videl smiled at him. "From now on, whenever we fight crime, we will be known as the Great Saiyaman and Saiyagirl, the unbeatable team."

Gohan couldn't help but laugh at her, bringing his fingers to run through her short black hair now, his other arm still wrapped around her waist, having never left that position during the whole time that they had been talking. "It _does_ have a ring to it."

After that conversation was over, the two fell into comfortable silence once more. No words needed to be exchanged between the two—they were perfectly content as they relaxed, Videl feeling completely and utterly safe in Gohan's arms as he held her gently, and she rested her cheek against his left pectoral, where she could hear the strong, steady heartbeat, feel the warmth emanating from his skin, felt the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed in and out. He, too, was perfectly content, his eyes closed, nose buried in her black hair, one of his hands still gently running through a few of those strands, his right arm still wrapped around her waist, having never left its position during their whole conversation.

"Hey, Gohan…" Videl began, suddenly realizing something with an inward groan.

"Hm?" he replied, showing that he was listening.

"…what are we gonna do when we get back to school tomorrow?" she asked him, bringing her head up to look at him. "I mean, everyone knows that I left to train for the Tournament, it was practically expected of me not to come for a month. But you…only a handful of the kids know about you even _being_ in the Tournament—Erasa and Sharpener, and possibly someone else. They're the only ones who know about you going _and_ you being Saiyaman, but what about the rest of the school? And _none_ of them know about _us_ yet, because, well, we just got started yesterday."

Gohan thought for a few moments, before he gave an honest reply. "Well…I dunno what I'm gonna say about us," he told her gently. "Actually, if you want, they don't _have_ to know about us—"

"No, Gohan, I don't wanna be that person," she interrupted him. "It's cowardly to hide things from others like that, and I damn well am _not_ gonna start showing cowardice now. I guess we can just act like we normally do, pretend that they're not there and that their opinion doesn't matter in the least to us…and I don't think that their thoughts on the matter _will_ actually affect me," Videl told him truthfully.

"Yeah, it won't affect me, either, honestly," Gohan said, running his fingers through her hair so that his hand was now at the back of her neck. "I love you, and nothing will change that."

Hearing those three simple words, the simple, truthful, meaningful "I love you" from Gohan, seemed to make Videl's insides suddenly warm, and caused her to feel absolutely perfect, like she could do anything, anything at all, if he told her to. She wondered if, every time he told her that, that she would react like this all the time—it wasn't exactly an unwanted or non-pleasurable feeling, and she rather liked this new feeling, just like she had yesterday when he'd first confessed his love for her.

"I know, Gohan," she replied softly, smiling the slightest bit at him. "I love you, too." Gohan smiled at her at her words, and the two leaned in once more to share another small, tender kiss between them, slightly reminiscent of the first kiss that they had ever shared at this same place.

"But still," Videl pressed on once they pulled away, looking at him with slight concern in her blue eyes, "what are you gonna say to them about not being in school for a whole _month_?"

"I'll just make up an excuse…I'll say that Mom needed my help for something, and that family problems took up a whole month," he said, the idea suddenly coming up randomly. It was slightly true, too, now that he thought about it. "And, even if the teachers don't buy that—I'm sure that the other students will just forget about it eventually—I think that Bulma may be able to play her cards right and convince them to forget that I was absent for a month. Her, along with my mother, could easily persuade them to forget that," he answered with a slight smirk.

Videl laughed lightly at that, knowing that his words were true. From what she had seen, those two women were probably the most stubborn human women in existence—it was probably why they had managed to put up with Saiyan husbands for so long. It also helped that Bulma was the richest woman in the world—a little bribery was sure to go a _long_ way, if she went about it correctly.

Then, Videl sighed slightly, thinking about school once more. "I don't wanna go back to school tomorrow," she admitted. "Everyone is probably gonna be acting really weird after everything that happened, and they'll all be gushing about my how my dad 'saved' the planet and crap. And also, it'll be a _Monday_. I _hate_ Mondays, they're the worst day of the week."

Gohan chuckled a bit at her attitude towards school. "I'm sure that it won't be too bad," he told her with an easy grin.

She couldn't help but smile back at him a bit. "If you say, so, Gohan." However, she truly began to believe what he had told her—it surely wouldn't be too bad to go back to school, because, well, Gohan would be with her, and he always told the truth.

"Hey…" Gohan trailed off for a moment, and then looked down at Videl oddly, suddenly remembering something that he'd heard from her father before they had left the house. "Videl, did your dad _seriously_ think that we were dating during the Tournament?"

At that, Videl snickered a bit. "Yes, he did," she answered with a little smirk. "Remember when you gave me that green bean that healed me? By the way, what _was_ that exactly, and how'd it do that?"

"It's called a Senzu bean, they're able to heal you of physical injuries if you eat it. _How_ it does it, I have no idea," Gohan answered. "May you please continue?"

She smiled at the fact that he'd said "please", and then she continued. "OK, since you asked nicely," she said with a grin. "Well, remember when you were holding my hand, transferring your ki to me and somehow taking away my pain? Thanks for that by the way." When he nodded, showing that he remembered and that her thanks were accepted, she continued. "Well, I never held hands with guys before, which led Dad to think that we'd been dating. Also was the fact that I trusted you over him so easily—he knew that it took a _lot_ for me to trust someone completely, and for me to take a non-prescribed bean without any hesitance from you…well, he jumped to the wrong conclusions at the point."

"Oh." Gohan had thought that the reason was something along those lines, but he had wanted it confirmed before he'd jumped to conclusions.

"Hey, I think we've still got some time left," Videl said, looking at the sky and gauging how many more hours they had of daylight. The sun had slowly begun to set, and their shadows had elongated. If she had to guess, she would say that it was probably past five, possibly almost six—there was still plenty of daylight left in the day, it wouldn't begin to seem dark until around eight.

"Well, you wanna go back into the lake?" he asked her, and his reply was a slight rolling of her eyes as she nodded.

They went back into the beautifully clear pond, and both of them began doing laps. Soon, though, the simple laps changed into a race to see who swam faster, who could complete a full lap the fastest. Videl thought that Gohan was only fast on land, and that he may not be the best swimmer, so she was confident that she could possibly beat him in _something_.

However, she was sadly proven wrong when Gohan won every single race that they had against each other without any visible effort at all. While she was huffing and puffing slightly, her face flushed and muscles aching, Gohan seemed as if he had just taken a little walk in the park, had grabbed a snack along the way, and had taken a refreshing nap afterwards. In other words, he looked like he was having the perfect day and wasn't tired at _all_.

"Dammit, Gohan," Videl managed to get out, after calling off another race after he had asked if she wanted to with a slightly playful grin. She was trying to catch her breath, panting from her exertion—she had done at _least_ ten laps during the race with Gohan, and the lake was _much_ bigger than the average-sized pool. "How the hell…are you not _tired_?"

"Videl, I told you, Saiyans are extremely strong," he replied with a light shrug, smirking lightly at her. "We have a _lot_ of endurance, all things considered, and I also have swum _a_ _lot_ when I went fishing with my dad. The way that _we_ fished, we jumped into the river and we got the fish with our bare hands, we didn't use fishing rods and stuff. So I'm used to swimming really fast, we had to catch the fish, and they were _really_ big fish, too, and really fast."

She was glaring halfheartedly at him. "Why do you have…to be part super-freaking-strong…_alien_!?"

Gohan chuckled at her reaction. "I'm sorry, Videl, that I cannot control my genetics," he teased, not sounding sorry in the least.

Slightly annoyed, Videl tried to shove Gohan in the chest once more—of course, he didn't budge an inch. She probably would've had better luck trying to move a statue that weighed a ton. He could help but laugh again at the slightly childish way that she was acting, and caught her as she slightly stumbled into him from the force of her shove. Gently, he placed his hand on her cheek, taking in her features, the way that her cheeks were flushed a gentle rosy color from her previous exertion of energy while she swam, the way that her luscious lips were parted slightly with her increased breathing, her chest rising and falling with the action of taking in air, accenting her breasts, the way that small strands of her black hair stuck to her face in some places from the water, the spark that was always ignited within her amazingly ocean-blue eyes, the fire of a fighter within their depths.

He couldn't take his eyes off her, almost in a trance. He couldn't believe how he had somehow managed to gain such a beautiful creature as his girlfriend, how lucky he was to have gained someone like her. She hadn't minded about his Saiyan heritage; she wanted to fight crime with him, wanted to work with him; she genuinely cared for him; she was strong-willed, quick-witted, and could hold her own in a fight; she was also compassionate when she wanted to be.

"You're so beautiful," Gohan told her truthfully, his voice a gentle whisper as he looked deeply into her eyes, his fingers gently touching the soft skin on her face, his other arm wrapping around her waist almost instinctively. She allowed it, her previous slight annoyance with him gone as she looked up at him, into his mesmerizing onyx eyes, feeling her heart flutter slightly after he'd told her that. He just told her that she was _beautiful_.

"Th-thank you, Gohan," she replied, almost forgetting how to speak. Why, oh, why was she acting so…so…unlike herself? Maybe it had to do with the fact that no one had ever so honestly, so truthfully, told her that she was _beautiful_ when she believed herself to look much too exhausted to look pretty. Maybe it was because the boy that she loved had told her so. She didn't know, but she knew that she didn't want to get rid of these nice feelings anytime soon, and if they made her act slightly weird, well, screw it.

Gohan smirked, looking so amazingly handsome at the moment as Videl looked up at him, dark hair plastered on his pale features slightly, the features that seemed slightly more manly now than before, and yet still slightly retaining the innocence that seemed to be always there in his features…they both couldn't resist as they leaned in for yet another kiss, holding each other close. The sun had begun to set, causing their forms to seem silhouetted against the beautiful backdrop of the yellow sun, casting their figures in a slight glow, while the sky was painted the myriad of colors, of red and orange and pinks and purples and blues.

When they pulled away, Gohan noticed how late it had gotten, and, with slight reluctance, said that they should go. Hercule _had_ said to make sure that she was back by eight, and Gohan didn't want to start any problems with her father just because they were late with the curfew he had given them. Videl had agreed, and they had gotten out of the water, the boy using his ki to dry them off before they put their clothes back on.

The flight back to her home was, yet again, a race. Neither of the two could get rid of that competitive spirit within them, and flew as fast as they could back to the Satan home (well, Videl did. Gohan just kept at a reasonable pace so that he wouldn't leave her completely behind). When Gohan won, Videl seemed slightly disgruntled, but didn't comment, having known that he would win anyway. When he sent her a slight smirk, however, she just _had_ to punch him in the arm for his annoyance, and then regretted it when she felt as if she was punching rock. Damn Saiyans and their incredibly muscular bodies and rock-hard skin.

Gohan chuckled at that, shaking his head as he opened the door for her to go inside. Glaring slightly at him, she went in without commenting, causing him to grin the slightest bit.

The moment that she went in the entrance, excited yipping sounded from the big living room, coming closer to them as Bee ran up to them in eagerness. The small puppy ran up to the two teenagers, running around their ankles in excited circles, barking with joy, tail wagging excitedly.

Gohan grinned once more at the puppy, kneeling down to scratch the little dog behind the ears. "Hey there, little guy," he grinned, laughing when Bee jumped all over him and began to cover his face in excited licks. Any previous annoyance that Videl might have felt towards Gohan vanished in the instant that she saw the way that he was playing with her puppy, and she couldn't help the smile that appeared on her lips.

Bee eventually backed down from the half-Saiyan teen, and then turned his attention to her, barking happily and placing his paws on her shin. She picked him up once more, holding him as he lightly scrabbled up her and licked her face eagerly. She, too, laughed lightly at her puppy, before he happily settled into her arms and stopped licking her face. He looked up at her, barked a few times, before he simply remained content as he was held by her. She smiled fondly at the tiny animal as Gohan got up from the floor, grinning at her.

"Well, see you tomorrow, Videl," he told her, grinning easily.

She smiled back at him. "Yeah, see you tomorrow. Oh, and, hey," she suddenly said, and Gohan waited for what she was going to say, looking at her expectantly. "When are we gonna get my Saiyagirl costume from Bulma?"

His grin grew wider at the fact that she wanted to be _Saiyagirl_. Saiyaman's partner. "I'm sure that she wouldn't mind if we dropped by tomorrow, after school's done," he assured her.

"OK." Videl was smiling, and she suddenly heard her father let out a loud cheer after the announcer on the TV had begun to scream—his favorite team had either made an amazing comeback or had won the game. She could hear Majin Buu eagerly cheering too, his weird, high-pitched, child's voice sounding odd, but she didn't pay it any mind.

"Well, Buu seems to like it here, huh?" Gohan commented, having heard the pink blob's voice as well.

Videl laughed. "Yeah, he really likes it," she replied, adjusting Bee in her arms as the puppy simply looked up at the two teens, his dark eyes looking at them as he yipped every now and then, content with watching the two now, probably tired from all of the playing he had done before.

The boy smiled, simply looking at her with gentleness and love in his dark eyes, and her look mirrored his. Gently, the two leaned in and shared a tender, soft goodbye kiss, Bee not even making any noise in Videl's arms as their lips gently met for a few seconds, before they pulled away, grinning at each other.

"Well," Gohan said in finality, going out of the door and hovering slightly in the air, preparing himself for a quick flight home, "see you at school, Videl, and see you later, Bee!"

Videl grinned in reply, while the puppy in her arms barked excitedly at the mention of his name, looking up at Gohan with his bright, big eyes. She shifted Bee so that his weight was being supported by only one of her arms, and with her left hand, she waved up at Gohan. "All right! Bye, Gohan!" she called up to him.

Gohan waved in return, grinning down at her. "Bye!" he said in farewell, before he blasted off, back to his home.

Videl couldn't wipe the smile off of her face as she went back into the house, still holding Bee in her arms. Yes, she knew that the next day was probably going to be hectic, what with returning to school, everyone still slightly shocked about Majin Buu, about _dying_, and everyone was probably going to be all over how her father, once again, saved the world. The next few days were going to be chaotic, there was no doubt of that.

But, hell, she had Gohan. As long as he was by her side, both literally and figuratively, she knew that everything was going to be fine.

* * *

**So, guys, whaddaya think? Most of you guys wanted their date to be at the lake, so here it is! Sorry for not being able to use some of the ideas for the first date, but I'm sure that I'll use those later on for their later dates! All your ideas were so awesome that I had great difficulty choosing one to do for this chapter :D and damn, I really wish I was Videl right now. I've always wanted a puppy, AND Videl gets a super-sexy Super-Saiyan boyfriend? I would probably do ANYTHING to be in her shoes XD**

**Well, anyways, I really enjoyed writing this chapter for you guys. I'm really enjoying writing this story now, and damn, I am updating pretty darn quickly :D once again, thank you all for your lovely, amazing reviews! They mean so much to me, thanks! There was something else that I wanted to say…but I forgot…I have worse Short Term Memory Loss than Dory (Finding Nemo just to make sure you guys got that reference :D)**

**Wait, I remembered now! So, guys, this is how Saiyagirl comes about, I hope you like how I did it :D I think that something like this may have happened, and is Videl's reasoning to be Saiyagirl. For some reason, I find it so cute and endearing ;)**

**So, they're going to school the next chapter, guys! Can't wait to write it, it's gonna be _really_ fun :D well, hope you enjoyed the story, thank you for reading, and please review! :D**


	11. Back to School

**The last chapter was for my own need for super-marshmallow-cotton-ball-fluffiness, and I know that some of you guys liked it too :D well, just wanted to make their first date super cute like that—don't worry, things aren't gonna stay perfect for our little lovebirds for too long, last chapter was just pure oozing fluff. Soon, though, I'm sure that you all will _wish_ that things stay perfect between them…*evil cackle***

**Also, guys, I applied for Team Dragon Star and I got in, yay! I am now a member of Team Dragon Star, and have submitted a B/V one-shot called 'Nightmares'. I'd love it if you guys all read it! Thanks! :D**

**By the way, happy very belated birthday, SierraLarson! I promised her a chapter for her birthday (she told me too late to actually be able to post it ON her actual birthday…-_-). Anyways, this chapter is for her, who is a loyal reviewer and awesome person! Happy late birthday, hope you like the chapter! :D**

**This chapter is also for DarkVoid 116, another loyal reviewer and fellow writer who is also completely awesome :D. This is also _his_ early-birthday present :3. So, this chapter is for Dark and Sierra, for the former's early birthday and the latter's late one :D thank you for all your support and ideas throughout the story, it means a lot to me! :D**

**Also, I have a _super_-_duper_ request to make of everyone. I've noticed that this story has gotten a LOT of favorites and follows. Thank you all so much for that, by the way! :D but also, if you've favorited and/or followed my story, I would _really_ appreciate it if you guys dropped me a review. Even if it's two words or to tell me that I suck XD but getting reviews gives me constructive criticism and could possibly make me into a better writer, so that the chapters will come out better XD and also they give me ideas sometimes. Have I mentioned that? XD but please, the main point is, may you pretty, _pretty_ please drop a review if you've favorited/followed this? It would mean a lot to me; seeing one of your lovely reviews brightens my day :) On that note, I also would like to throw out a big thank-you to my loyal reviewers who have stuck with me through this, such as A Touch of the Blues, SierraLarson, abbieouji, lancecomwar, DarkVoid 116, ultranx, jimthebear2, KimiruMai, CottonCandy101, dcp1992, Firestorm1991, and everyone else who has reviewed! It means a lot to me! :)**

…**that was a REALLY long author's note. Anyways, now that my rambling is done, onto the story! Hope ya enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: Seriously?**

* * *

Nightmares haunted Gohan that night.

It was so sudden, so unexpected, that the teenager felt completely unprepared for the emotional onslaught of the memories that terrorized him as he slept. After he had told Videl about the nightmares he was having, they hadn't truly come back—often, the most he ever dreamed about were small snippets that quickly changed to another dream, one more peaceful than a terrible memory.

That night, however, they came back such clarity that it was almost as if Gohan had traveled back in time to those exact moments.

Everything seemed to bombard him at once that night, in no specific order but all in disturbing precision, both memories of when he was younger and recollections of the recent fight with Majin Buu. Agony searing through his side as his energy was forcibly taken from him—Sixteen's desperate plea to save the animals before his head was ruthlessly crushed by Cell, something inside Gohan snapping at that as he wailed—Videl's screams of agony as Spopovich ruthlessly pressed his heel into her temple, grinning sadistically as Gohan snarled—watching Nappa kill Piccolo after Gohan was too weak to save himself—seeing his father die once again—the crazed, emotionless look in Vegeta's emerald eyes as Babidi possessed him—hearing that everyone on the Earth had been killed by Majin Buu—watching with mute horror as the pink blob suddenly absorbed Gotenks and Piccolo before the monster began to wail on him—seeing Vegeta go temporarily insane over the death of his son from the future after Mirai Trunks had been ruthlessly killed by Cell—the extreme pain of having his neck broken by Recoome—watching Frieza kill Krillin and then Vegeta, hearing the prince's last words of desperation—trying to prevent Majin Buu from hatching by frantically firing energy at the cocoon—the utter hopelessness and despair that hit him when he first felt that blob's energy, trying to get away with Shin but unable to make it—

Everything. All jumbled up, in no specific order, small spurts of time that quickly changed to a different and equally terrible memory.

He woke up with a sickening jolt, eyes snapping open as he shot straight up in bed, his breathing unnaturally fast and ragged, heart racing. It took him few moments for his sharp Saiyan eyesight to register the fact that he was surrounded by a dark room—_his_ dark room—and that all of the things that had happened in his nightmares were simply memories.

Memories that had felt sickeningly real once again. The details of the dreams—the sights, sounds, textures, smells, _tastes_—had all been in shocking clearness. And the things that his five senses hadn't picked up on—his emotions—were all as fresh as they has felt before, suddenly hitting him all at once. Agony and fury and panic and hopelessness and terror and anguish and grief and disbelief and anger and guilt…everything cursed through his system, an emotional overload.

It took him a while to calm down, curling up in a slight fetal position, elbow resting on his bent knee, his sweaty forehead in his palm as he took in deep breaths, in and out and in and out, in an attempt to calm himself. He made sure not to close his eyes except to blink—the memories would resurface if he closed them once more completely, he was sure of it. His black hair was damp with perspiration, his bare chest beaded lightly with sweat, his face even paler than normal, dark eyes wide as he struggled to fight back the vivid images, heart still thudding rapidly. Soon, though, he was able to control his breathing completely, his breaths softer now and more gentle, back to being just about involuntary, and the quick beating of his heart had slowed to its normal pace once more.

Instinctively, he glanced over at his little brother—Goten was sleeping like a baby, a small smile on his angelic face. Gohan had worried that the little boy might have nightmares like himself, but it didn't seem to be the case here, the teenager noted with relief. He wasn't sure if he would be able to know that Goten, too, was suffering from night terrors.

Gohan knew that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. He cast his dark eyes over to the clock; it proclaimed that it wasn't even 5:30 yet. Stifling a slight moan, he began to get out of bed, tossing the too-warm sheets to the side, when he heard Goten let out the tiniest of whimpers. Turning back to his little brother, he saw that, now, Goten's face was lightly twisted in what looked like fear and pain in his sleep. Gohan had thought too soon—Goten seemed to be having nightmares as well.

However, after a few seconds, Goten's face relaxed once more, turning back into that small smile that had originally been in place. Gohan let out the breath that he hadn't known he had been holding—Goten's nightmares probably were like his own were at first, only small bursts of things that weren't completely remembered when he woke up, outweighed by the good dreams that he was probably having.

After watching his brother protectively for a little while, making sure that he was truly all right, Gohan sighed as he ran an agitated hand through his hair. He brought his legs over to the side of the bed, his feet flat on the floor, elbows on his thighs as he brought both hands to his thick hair, gripping it almost like a lifeline, grappling with the last terrible remnants of the nightmares. The emotions were still as fresh as they had been in those exact times…

The half-Saiyan teen vigorously shook his head to clear it of the horrible recollections of the ordeals. They were over now. All of them. He was alive. Everyone he cared about was alive now. They were safe. They were fine.

Then…why did he get the horrible, foreboding, gut-wrenching feeling that everything _wasn't_ all right?

Struggling to detach these unnerving thoughts from his mind, he went to the bathroom to wash his face. The room had suddenly felt too hot and stuffy for him, so he turned on the cold water when he reached the bathroom and splashed his face with the blessed frigidness. He continued to splash his face until his mind was unable to comprehend anything other than the freezing cold of the water, until his face felt slightly numb from the chill. He gripped the sides of the white porcelain sink, taking care not to crack the fragile material with his strength, taking a few more calming, deep breaths, soon gaining control over his fluctuating emotions. To make things even better, he decided at the last minute to take a cold, refreshing shower, so that he could truly wake up and get the slight stickiness from his sweat off of him. As he entered the shower, he closed his eyes and allowed the cool water to fall on his body, washing away the perspiration and also seeming to cleanse his mind gently of the flashbacks that he had.

He then busied himself with getting ready for school, wrapping a white towel around his waist after he got out of the shower, picking out and then changing into his garments. He reached into his drawer and pulled out the watch that Bulma had given him, the one that allowed his Saiyaman getup to materialize. He cast one last glance to his little brother, protectiveness and caring shining in his onyx eyes as he watched the little boy sleep peacefully, before he went out of the room.

As he passed his parents' room on his way to the kitchen, Gohan couldn't help but smile the slightest bit as he felt the familiar ki of his father sleeping with his mother, still powerful even in complete rest, a drastic difference to his mother's barely noticeable, gentle energy. It was nice to have his father back, to have him and Goten bonding, to see his mother even happier than before. To wash away some of the guilt that he'd always felt as being the cause of his father's death.

He soon reached the kitchen, getting prepared to make himself some food. However, when he was opening the fridge, he caught sight of a small, green Post-it note on the white surface that he hadn't noticed before. Curiously, he closed the door again and inspected the familiar, neat handwriting on the note.

_If any of my boys wake up to train in the early hours of the morning, when no sane being can possibly be awake, there are some capsules of breakfast for you. I am NOT waking up that early to make you food, understand? I need my sleep. I know that they'll probably be used up very quickly because of you, Goku; you sometimes wake up so early to train. It's for all three of you; they're inside the top left cabinet. Please, try not to eat ALL of them in one shot, all right? I love you, sweethearts!_

_XOXOXO,_

_Chi-Chi (Mom)_

Gohan couldn't help but laugh slightly as he read the note—so _this_ was what his mother had been doing yesterday when he'd returned from his date with Videl. He had seen her cooking out of the corner of his eye as he ate his dinner, wondering what she was doing but unable to truly focus on it, since his father was eating with him as well. When three males with Saiyan blood were sitting at one table as they ate and one of them had the name of Goku, you had to protect your food or eat it as quickly as possible.

It made sense, though, why his mother would do that. His father was notorious for waking up bright and early to train, and he supposed that his mother had been woken up to cook some breakfast for him too many times to count (Saiyans had no problem with eating early in the morning at all—food at any time in the day was just fine with them), and this was just a precaution just in case he wanted to repeat the cycle. It was also rather convenient for him—Gohan wasn't exactly the world's best cook, but his mother's amazing meals never disappointed. He found the capsules that his mother was talking about, and smiled as he took one of them, wanting to be surprised at what his mother had made.

After he had finished an amazing breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, and toast, all downed with orange juice, he grabbed another green Post-it from the small pad on the kitchen counter, grabbing a blue pen from the penholder as well. Then, he began to scribble a note, so that his mother wouldn't worry about him. He remembered what Goten had told him quite a while ago, when he had gone to Capsule Corporation for that early-morning spar and slight advice from Vegeta, and remembered the promise that he had made the little boy. And Gohan always tried to keep his promises, no matter how small.

_Mom, I woke up pretty early today and used a couple of the food capsules that you stored for us. Thanks a lot for that, by the way. I couldn't really sleep well, so I'm going to school a little early. Tell Dad that I said hi, and tell Goten I'll see him later. I was going to see Bulma after school for something, and if you let Goten see Trunks today, I can pick him up when I come back from school if you want me to. Just a thought._

_Thanks again for the food capsules; I think it was a genius idea._

_Love you,_

_Gohan_

As Gohan finished his note, he managed a smile, knowing that his mother would appreciate the compliments. She would also probably be glad that he remembered to tell her where he was going if he left early, so that she wouldn't get frightened. She would probably worry about his sleeping schedule, though, the way that she always looked at them before they went into a battle where one of them could possibly not come back from, the same look that she had worn in her eyes before they had left to the Cell games where his father hadn't returned because of him—

_No,_ Gohan fiercely told himself. _No,_ _Dad's_ _here,_ _he's_ _fine._ _He's_ _back_ _with_ _us._

Even as he told himself that, it did not stop the whole Cell Games from flashing in front of his eyes: Hercule being carelessly smacked away; his father fighting Cell, then nominating Gohan to fight Cell; watching the Cell Juniors brutally attack his friends; Sixteen grabbing Cell and attempting to self-destruct only to find out that Bulma had removed the bomb inside of him; Cell decapitating him; Hercule throwing Sixteen's head in front of Gohan so that the orange-haired Android could speak to the boy; the overgrown cockroach mercilessly crushing the cyborg's head; him screaming and crying as his power escalated; punishing Cell for all that he had done, prolonging the torture; his father sacrificing himself as Cell resorted to the cheap, cowardly technique of self-destructing; feeling his father's power blink away as Cell's terribly familiar one gathered up in the clouds; Mirai Trunks falling to the ground, the yellow beam piercing through his body as Vegeta stared in shock as his son from the future choked out blood; the Saiyan prince screaming at the death of the time-traveler and lunging for Cell in a mad rage; Gohan leaping in front of him to protect him from a fatal blow from Cell; knowing he was still too damned _weak_ to help _anyone_ because he was _never_ _strong_ _enough_ and he was too damn _prideful_ and he'd killed his own _father_ because of that _damned_ _stupid_ _arrogance_—

No. It was all right. The Cell Games were over and done. He'd managed to kill the monster with the slight help of his father, and now, his father truly _was_ here, in the flesh with them, the full-blooded Saiyan's familiar ki thrumming gently in the room that the man shared with his wife. They were simply memories. Memories couldn't harm him.

He repeated that in his head, over and over and over, but…it didn't seem to truly reassure him that much.

Shaking his head to clear away the flashbacks, the cobwebs that had begun to form into his mind, clinging to him, leeching from any peace that he might have had and replacing it with the panic, the fear, the agony, the anguish…

He quickly left the house, jumping into the air the moment that he stepped foot out of his humble abode. Transforming quickly into Saiyaman, so that no one else would recognize him for who he really was, before he took off.

He had no set destination in mind. He just…flew. It was calming, giving him something to do, distracting him from anything else other than focusing on keeping himself in the air. As he flew, he unconsciously felt out for the other familiar power levels of his friends and allies. He could faintly feel Krillin's ki from far away, but was unable to feel Marron—she had such a tiny power level and was so far that he couldn't sense her; however, he knew that she was fine. He felt Yamcha's energy, significantly weaker than Krillin's, along with Tien and Chiaotzu's own stronger powers. Obviously, he could not miss the blaringly obvious kis of the two Saiyan princes as they slept, the elder's significantly stronger than the younger one's even during rest. Trunks' ki was close to his parents'; he was also able to catch the energy of Bulma, which seemed even weaker than normal compared to Vegeta's much more powerful one which was right next to hers. He even felt the gentle, reassuring pulse of Videl's energy as she slept, safe and sound. She would probably be waking up soon to be getting ready for school.

Gohan realized that the sky was getting slightly lighter—he turned so that he could witness the sunrise, because seeing that always seemed to calm him down even more, always gave him a sense of peace and tranquility. He watched as the bright sun slowly began to peek over the horizon, the clouds and sky around it becoming tinted with beautiful hues, turning into gentle shades of light rose and soft lavender and creamy yellow and mellow orange, before fading into the now pretty periwinkle color that the sky had faded into.

He wasn't sure how long he stood hovering in the air, watching the sun rise gently into the sky. It was so beautiful…he absentmindedly remembered back on Namek, the planet with three suns, where there had never been night, the three suns rising and setting in equal intervals so that it was always daytime. They never had the beauty of sunrises. That planet had been weird, Gohan honestly thought—with blue grass and green skies, the colors seeming to be switched to him, and the trees had been so barren, only a handful of perfectly circular blue leaves on the top of the tan trunks. There had been barely any other landmarks, most of the planet being simple, flat, barren ground. Everything had been so…out in the open, which made hiding difficult. He had to have known how to hide his power or else bad things might've happened that were worse than what had occurred—

_The Namekians being ruthlessly slaughtered by Zarbon and Dodoria—they weren't going to make it, Dodoria was too fast, he was going to catch them—agony as Recoome broke his neck with sadistic glee, pain please make the pain stop it hurts so much Daddy where are you—Frieza just killing and killing and killing, first Dende and then Vegeta and then Krillin—grabbing Bulma, they weren't going to make it, they weren't going to make it back to the ship, it was falling and the planet was dying and they were all going to _die_—_

Gohan suddenly put on a burst of speed, creating a sonic boom in his wake as he flew as fast as he possibly could, as if he traveled fast enough that he could leave all the painfully clear memories behind. Yet the thoughts didn't leave his head, continuing to buzz around like a swarm of angry bees, stinging him with the raw emotions and the vivid images.

Soon, when he probably guessed that he'd flown around the world a few times unconsciously, he looked down at his watch—it told him that it was 7:43. He hadn't known so much time had passed, and decided that he ought to start heading to school. He changed his direction and headed towards the building, his body now on autopilot since he was in a familiar area and knew how to reach the school from here.

Losing all track of time, Gohan hadn't even known that his feet touched the roof of the school building. His mind seemed to be in another dimension, another realm that was unreachable to anyone but him, not even in this world completely, but in a world of memories where there was pain and grief and fear, pure, pure terror and anguish and agony…

"Gohan?"

He hadn't even sensed her coming. With slight shock, the young man turned around to see that Videl had landed on the roof of the school as well—it seemed that she had flown herself without her usual mode of transportation. Looking at her, meeting her surprised and concerned blue gaze, he managed a slightly strained grin in reply.

"Oh, hey, Videl," he answered, pressing the button in his watch that dematerialized his Saiyaman getup. When she didn't say anything in reply, simply going up to him and scrutinizing her with her blue eyes, he asked, after a few moments of silence, "Um…what is it?"

She continued to intently examine him, crossing her arms as she looked right into his dark eyes. "Hey, are you OK?" she asked him, after giving him yet another quick once-over with her gaze. "I mean…you look weird today."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Do you think I'm stupid?" she asked him bluntly. "You don't seem yourself today, I can tell. You seem…distant, somehow." Her blue eyes were boring into his with intensity, with concern, with emotion—

_Android #16's ice blue eyes gazed at Gohan with a look of pleading intensity after he had spoken, after telling Gohan to let go of his power so that he could protect nature, for a moment, a millisecond, a flash of pure, raw feeling._

_And then Cell's foot came down upon the Android's head, crushing it in one swift move and ending the cyborg's life once and for all._

Gohan let out a slightly choked breath, shaking his head vigorously, trying to shake away the terrible thoughts forming in his mind, preventing the events from the Cell Games from coming up again. However, as he suppressed those memories, the ones just recently, from the battle with Majin Buu, seemed to appear.

His odd behavior did not go unnoticed by Videl, whose eyes became more concerned for him than slightly accusing. She gently reached out a hand to touch his cheek, and his hand came up next to hers, his large, slightly calloused one holding her own smaller one. His slightly troubled onyx eyes looked at her, and she shook her head.

"Gohan, you have to tell me," she said quietly. "What's wrong? You haven't told me yet." She wrapped her other arm around his thick, corded neck in a half-hug, and he returned the gesture as his arm wrapped itself around her small waist. She rested her head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat against her cheek as she lightly embraced him It was a gesture of wordless comfort, of support, that Videl was willing to give to him. "Please, Gohan, tell me that's wrong."

There was no sound for a few moments, other than Gohan's slightly labored breathing as he fought back the flashbacks, squeezing his eyes shut. He buried his nose into her short back hair, inhaling her comforting scent, before he began to speak.

"Nightmares," he told her quietly, so softly that she had to strain slightly to hear him, unsure if she had heard him.

"Of what?" Videl asked gently in reply, just as quietly as he was speaking.

"Of…of everything," Gohan confessed, barely even above a whisper. "When the Saiyans first came to Earth…when we went to Namek…the Androids…the Cell Games…Majin Buu…_everything_, Videl."

His voice was strained as he valiantly battled the emotions that were threatening to engulf him, holding her the slightest bit closer. She didn't protest, bringing her head up so that she could look at him, look into his dark eyes with worry for his wellbeing in her own. She brought one of her hands up to the back of his head as she gently ran her fingers through his thick, black hair.

"It's OK, Gohan," she whispered comfortingly. "All of those things happened, but you've been through them and survived. It's all right, it's OK, I promise you, it's all over. The evil Majin Buu is defeated, you killed Cell, and the whole skirmish with the Saiyans and Namek is over." She didn't truly understand all of the things that he'd gone through—he hadn't gone into extreme detail when he'd told her the day before about his heritage—but she knew enough to know that bad things happened to him when he was very young, that his eyes were opened to true cruelty at a very young age. And yet, he somehow still retained a gentle innocence, a slight form of purity, somehow, in some way. It was something that seemed impossible, considering all that had been forced onto him, all that he'd gone through, but then again, Gohan always seemed to go against what was expected.

"I…I want it to stop," Gohan confessed in a voice that was barely discernible from the gentle, barely even-heard breeze that was brushing past them, his dark eyes distant, in another time as his gaze was fixed on a spot over her head. "The nightmares…they usually don't happen, but…when they do, it's…it's like…I'm reliving it. All over again. Exact same emotions. It's like I traveled back in time…I don't want it to happen any more, Videl."

"I know," she replied softly, giving him whatever reassurance she possibly could as she ran her fingers through his hair. The tone in his voice suggested that he was struggling with his emotions, and she was suddenly hit with a wave of sympathy for him as she watched him stare ahead with those intense, dark eyes. What had Gohan done wrong? Why did he have to suffer through these things, the nightmares and flashbacks? "I know you don't want it to happen anymore. I know. It's not fair."

Gohan's breathing was slightly heavy, and Videl opted not to say anything else, giving him her silent support, not protesting when he buried his nose in her hair once more as she continued to gently comb through his thick black locks with her surprisingly delicate fingers. He began to take deep breaths of her scent, allowing it to override everything, growing calmer at the soothing motions that she was making and the beautiful, natural perfume of her skin—cinnamon and slight citrus, and something spring-like, lightly flowery…it was comforting, familiar, soothing.

He soon seemed to regain control of himself without any more help, his breathing regulated once more, finally calmed down. He stood there with his girlfriend for a little while longer, simply content with holding her, before he gently bent down and kissed her forehead, causing her to smile—she loved it when he did that.

"Thanks, Videl," he said quietly. "For just…you know…listening. And being there. Thank you."

"Hey, no problem," she replied with a smile, looking up at him with love in her cerulean eyes. "I'm always here to help. Never hesitate to ask for help if you need it, OK?"

Gohan smiled down at her, bringing his free hand up so that it was resting behind her neck. "I'll keep that in mind," he said, and her smile widened the slightest bit more in return. She reached up and gave him a chaste kiss, a bare brushing of their lips in innocence, and Gohan gently responded to the gesture.

When they pulled away, Videl instinctively checked her watch. Her blue eyes widened with surprise as she looked at the time.

"Crap, Gohan, it's only about eight minutes till class starts," she said in shock—she could've _sworn_ that they'd had a _lot_ more time than a little less than ten minutes. She could've _sworn_ that they had twenty…she guessed that time had gone by very quickly as they had stood on the roof. "We should get going."

Reluctantly, Gohan's arm unwrapped itself from around her waist. "OK," he almost pouted, prompting Videl to grin at him as she rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's extremely childish demeanor at the moment.

"Hey, it's not like we don't have after school to hang out; hell, we can hang out during school, too," she told him with a knowing smile. "You won't _ever_ be deprived of my company for long; I know it's painful for you to be parted from me."

Gohan laughed, shaking his head at her antics. "Yes, it is," he chuckled, and he reached out and offered her his hand. She took it without hesitation, smiling gently as they lightly interlaced their fingers together. Then, the two walked towards the stairs, and Gohan opened the door as they descended down into the school.

The two teenagers began to walk through the hallways of the school, amiably chatting with each other, keeping their fingers lightly interlaced, with one of them sometimes swinging it back and forth slightly. The corridors weren't crowded, containing only a few kids as they got their last-minute things for their classes, strolling along their way until they caught sight of something that they didn't think would ever be possible. Most jaws dropped, and they did nothing to stop their stares as they watched in shock as _the_ Videl Satan, daughter of Hercule Satan, strolled down the hallways with a boy—with _Gohan_ _Son_, of all people—as they held hands, talking quietly to each other as they smiled, conversing with each other. If there was any doubt that they were not together, it was quickly erased when either Videl would reach up to peck Gohan's cheek or the boy would bend down to gently kiss her forehead every now and then.

Both Gohan and Videl knew that they were being stared at, but acted confident and pretended that they didn't notice, acting like they normally would, naturally, not wanting to hide it. Neither of them knew that the other was putting up a façade, and believed that the other truly _was_ confident about all of this, that they really weren't noticing the stares; the truth was that both of them were acutely aware of the fact that all the other kids almost burned holes in their skin with their gazes, but acted as if they couldn't care less.

"You know, they're looking at us like we're some sort of freak show," Gohan said quietly, bending down to whisper in her ear. "Haven't they seen people holding hands before?"

Videl laughed in return, grinning and slightly relieved—Gohan seemed to be much better now than he had been this morning, seeming to have just about forgotten about his nightmares from earlier. "Well, I guess it's because it's, well, _me_. Everyone thought that I'd _never_ get a boyfriend because of my dad, and you're…well, _you_."

"Gee, thanks," he replied sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.

"It's not an insult, Gohan," she chided him lightly, punching his arm with barely any strength—she knew that if she actually used any that _she_ would get hurt instead. "It's just that you're so…_innocent_, you know? You always blushed whenever a girl hit on you before. Seeing you with me is a real shock—hell, seeing you with _any_ girl would shock them just because you're so innocent. I, personally, think it's really cute, the way that you used to blush."

Gohan rolled his eyes in annoyance as he fell into a slight pout, prompting Videl to laugh as she reached up and kissed his cheek once more in good humor. "Oh, stop acting like such a little kid," she told him.

He looked down at her, and then sighed, unable to cling onto his slight annoyance as he gazed into her bright, sparkling blue eyes. "Fine," he answered, and she grinned in return as she rested her head contentedly on his shoulder, slightly swinging their hands between them.

Soon, they reached their classroom, where the two paused for a moment, steeling themselves, before Gohan opened the door and walked in with Videl.

The chatting that had been taking place before the teacher had entered the room just about fell silent as the two walked in, hand-in-hand. The shocked gazes of the entire class fell on their joined hands, and then to their faces, which were now slightly blushing as they continued to walk towards their seats.

Suddenly, a familiar squeal sounded from their seats, and Videl turned to see that Erasa's hands were clasped together happily. Vaguely, the black-haired girl also noticed that their seating had changed—Erasa was not seated directly next to Sharpener, who had his arm slung casually around the back of her chair as Erasa patted the spot next to her eagerly. Deciding not to ask questions, the two black-haired teens, lightly blushing and ignoring the silence that had broken out into slight whispers, walked up to their designated spots.

Videl took her seat next to Erasa, and Gohan sat down next to her, their fingers still interlaced with one another. It gave them security, and honestly was the only thing keeping either of them from turning as red as beets as the whispers intensified, looks being cast their way.

"_Oh_ my _gosh_, Videl!" Erasa squealed, unable to stop herself from throwing her arms around her best friend and giving her a hug. Videl couldn't help but grin back at the eagerness with which the blonde was greeting her, and took her hand away from Gohan's for only a few moments so that she could return her friend's embrace.

"Nice to see you, too, Erasa," Videl joked, grinning as she pulled away from her best friend. Her hand unconsciously found its way to Gohan's slightly calloused one once more, and their fingers naturally threaded together again under the table, inconspicuously.

Erasa's bright blue eyes looked at Gohan and grinned, and the half-Saiyan teen grinned sheepishly in reply as he waved, offering a "hey" in greeting.

Since formalities were over, Erasa wasted no time in getting down to business. "Oh, you two are so _cute_ together! I always somehow _knew_ that you had a little thing for Gohan, Vi!" Erasa said happily. This caused the new couple to blush slightly once more, but Videl smiled at her best friend.

"I guess you always know these things, don't you, 'Rase?" Videl teased lightly, and the blond-haired girl laughed.

"Oh, but you two are so freaking _adorable_!" Erasa continued to gush, hands clasped together in pure elation. "How did your dad react to it, since Gohan's the—" Suddenly, she stopped herself, glanced around the room, and then lowered her voice. "Since Gohan is Saiyaman _and_ the Gold Fighter," Erasa finished in a quiet whisper, making sure no one else heard.

Before she could ask how her best friend knew that information, Videl's brain quickly reminded her that Erasa had been at the Tournament, as well as Sharpener and a few other kids from the school. "Well," she began in answer, "Dad, of course, did the whole 'you can't date anyone stronger than me' thing. Gohan was right there, though, and I pointed out that Gohan _was_ stronger than him. He's…well, he's OK with it, because, well, Gohan hadn't done anything to him, so he can't exactly hate the guy."

Erasa grinned, happy that things seemed to be going well for her two friends. "Well, I'm happy for you two," she giggled.

"Wow, Brains managed to get Videl _and_ get on her dad's good side," Sharpener said from behind Erasa, wearing a slight smirk on his face. "I need to get tips from you, man. How the hell did you _do_ that? Being the nerd and all, and not knowing anything about girls beforehand."

Erasa elbowed the other blond-haired boy lightly in the ribs. "Oh, be nice, Sharpie," she told him, grinning.

"What? It's true," Sharpener defended himself.

Gohan laughed lightly. "Don't worry, Erasa, I understand where Sharpener is coming from," he replied. "And I just…I dunno, was myself."

"That's _so_ freaking corny," Sharpener muttered with a roll of his eyes, earning yet another light elbow from Erasa. "Can you stop _doing_ that? Your elbow freaking _hurts_!" he told her.

This, however, caused Erasa to giggle. "Oh, Sharpie, just suck it up," she told him offhandedly. "Aren't you supposed to be all macho and manly?"

"I _am_ macho and manly—it's just that your elbow's freaking _bony_," he continued in exasperation, rolling his eyes dramatically.

"Stop being such a baby," Erasa giggled, turning around and giving Sharpener a quick peck on the nose. "There, I'm sorry for hurting you, OK?"

Sharpener grumped for a moment, before finally sighing in defeat at the look that Erasa was giving him, her baby blue eyes wide in that puppy-dog, Bambi-eyed look. "Fine, you're forgiven," he finally said, and Erasa grinned as she kissed him on the cheek, before she turned back to her other black-haired friends.

Videl's eyes had been flicking between her two blonde friends as they had spoken to each other, and finally looked straight at Erasa once the blonde girl was facing them again. A slow, slight smile began to creep onto Videl's face at the realization that hit her.

"Erasa, do you have something you want to tell us?" Videl teased lightly, still wearing that small knowing smirk on her face.

Erasa blushed a bit, but her grin remained on her face. "Yep, we sure do," she replied brightly, before she placed her hand on Sharpener's, which had moved to her shoulder, still slung across the back of her chair. "You want me to break them the news?" she inquired of the boy behind her.

"Sure," Sharpener replied carelessly, smirking slightly down at her.

She grinned even more brightly, before she turned back to her two black-haired friends. "Well…Sharpener and I are officially going out!"

Videl couldn't help but grin at her best friend, laughing. "I'm very happy for you, Erasa," Videl smiled, before she turned to Sharpener in surprise, her eyebrow slightly raised. "Just out of curiosity, though…I thought you were obsessed with _me_. Not to sound conceited or anything…just, how'd it happen?"

"Well, it happened a little after you two disappeared after the Tournament," Erasa began. "I just…" She turned to Sharpener, blue eyes warm. "I don't know what happened exactly. But it just…happened."

"Suddenly, we were in an intense make-out-fest," Sharpener offered, when Erasa didn't elaborate any further. "Stuff was said, and then, _bam_, we're making out. And we decide to become a couple. Oh, Videl, I got over you. I knew you had the hots for Saiyaman…I mean, _Gohan_," he teased.

Videl huffed, while Gohan laughed lightly. "So she liked me even then?" he asked Sharpener, ignoring the indignant look that his girlfriend shot him.

The other teenaged boy smirked, tucking a stray strand of long blond hair behind his ear. "Yep, it was obvious," he sniggered, causing Videl to glare at him with her penetratingly blue eyes.

"Why isn't the teacher here yet?" she grumbled under her breath, casting glances towards the clock. It was already five minutes past eight thirty, which was when class officially began, and the teacher wasn't in the room.

"Oh, come on, Videl, I was just teasing," Gohan told her, grinning as he gently bent down and lightly kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry if I offended you. Is that good?"

One look into his dark eyes, and Videl knew she was a goner. "Damn it, Gohan, that's not _fair_, stop _doing_ that look," she grumped, glaring lightly at him now.

"What look?" he asked innocently, and instinctively dodged the punch that she lightly threw at him, laughing. Their hands that were joined under the table had never separated, however.

"Bastard," she huffed in annoyance, turning her glower to the clock once more. Gohan laughed, squeezing her hand and kissing her black hair once more.

"Just for your information, my parents were married when they had me," he quirked in reply.

At that, Videl felt her lips twitch slightly, before she couldn't fight it any more and snickered at his joke. "Smartass," she shot back, rolling her eyes but smiling at him now, unable to truly stay annoyed with him for long. He chuckled, shaking his head at her, just as the teacher walked into the classroom. The rest of the class fell quiet, a hush coming over them as the teacher began to apologize for being late, hurriedly trying to get ready for the day.

Videl turned to see Sharpener whisper something in Erasa's ear, which caused the blonde girl to giggle as she laid her head on his arm while she watched the teacher with bored eyes, whispering back to him. The sight caused Videl to grin at them a bit—she was glad that Erasa had gotten together with him, since she had actually liked Sharpener. The two seemed perfect for each other.

"Erasa sure seems happy," Gohan commented quietly in Videl's ear.

"Yeah," she replied. "She actually liked Sharpener before, after she got over you." At Gohan's look of slight shock, Videl laughed a bit as she shook her head. "Just about _every_ girl in the school had a thing for you, Gohan. You know it, too."

"But…OK, I won't ask anymore," Gohan sighed, shaking his head. It was not Videl's turn to laugh as she squeezed his hand lightly, and he gently returned the gesture, allowing her to lean her own head on his shoulder as they watched the teacher.

Their two hands that were under the table never let go of each other during the whole period.

* * *

"GOHAN!"

The half-Saiyan teen was assaulted by two bundles of energy, one of them an orange blur and the other one having lavender hair. Gohan laughed as he was assaulted by the two eager little boys, who had tackled him in a hug at the exact same moment, falling backwards slightly from the force, not having expected it.

"Hey, Trunks," he greeted the younger prince, who grinned in reply before he got off of Gohan. Goten continued to hug his big brother, and Gohan returned the hug fondly. "And hello to you, too, squirt," he said to his younger brother.

"I missed you, Gohan!" Goten told him, clinging to him the slightest bit tighter—Gohan remembered that Goten hadn't given him his 'goodbye hug' like he did every day before he left for somewhere, and allowed the little boy to embrace him for as long as he wanted. Soon, though, he seemed to have been content with his hugging, and pulled away slightly, grinning.

"Uncle Vegeta showed me and Trunks new fighting moves!" Goten said happily.

"Oh, did he, now?" Gohan asked with interest, raising his eyebrow. "Where is he, by the way?"

"I _think_ he's taking a shower," Trunks answered. "We took showers a while ago, I think Dad stood in the GR for a little extra training for himself. He's been going on about how he's gotta beat your dad since he came back to life, even though I _personally_ think that he'd be able to kick your dad's ass easily—no offense to either of you, though."

Gohan laughed, both at hearing what Vegeta was doing and at how much Trunks obviously idolized his father. When Goten completely let go of him, Gohan ruffled the little boy's haphazard black spikes of hair affectionately, prompting the little demi-Saiyan to laugh as well. Then, he caught sight of the other person there, and grinned brightly.

"Oh, hi, Videl!" Goten said cheerily. "What're you doing here?"

Videl smiled at the little boy fondly. She now knew why Gohan had told her to stand back after he rang the doorbell and they had been buzzed in—she knew that she probably wouldn't have survived the tackle from the hyperactive boys.

"Well, Gohan and I stopped by to see Bulma for something," Videl answered with a smile as Gohan picked himself up off from the floor.

"I'm gonna bring you home, too, Goten, don't think I forgot about that," Gohan said, while Goten pouted slightly. At that face, Gohan couldn't help but sigh as he shook his head. "But you'll be able to play with Trunks while Videl and I go and see Bulma, all right?"

This immediately brightened Goten's mood, and he jumped up into the air enthusiastically. "YAY!" he cheered, before he quickly high-fived his best friend.

"Take all the time you want, Gohan!" Trunks called over. "No hurry!" Then, the two boys sped away, laughing as they flew out the door and into the great expanses of the Briefs' lawn.

Videl grinned at Gohan. "Well, they certainly are a handful," she joked.

"Yeah—hyper-active Super-Saiyan seven- and eight-year-olds have _way_ too much energy," Gohan agreed, grinning.

"Yeah, _you_ think you have it tough," a voice commented from behind them, and they turned to see Bulma coming into the room with a smirk on her face, a cigarette in her left hand. "You don't have to deal with _two_ Saiyan princes each day, one of them an arrogant asshole and the other a hyperactive little devil, and sometimes the bouncing ball of energy called Goten when he comes over to play. You have _no_ idea what we women go through."

Gohan laughed, shaking his head. "I suppose that's true, when you put it that way…" he admitted, sheepishly grinning.

Bulma winked at him, and then saw Videl there, and smiled at her. "Hey, sweetheart," she greeted the teenaged girl. "So, what brings you both here today? Chi told me you were coming over, Gohan, but I wasn't expecting Videl here, too. Not that you're not welcome here, sweetie," she told the other human woman in the room with a smile.

"Well, Bulma, we came here with a request," Gohan began, and then wondered how, exactly, he was going to word it. He felt Videl gently touch his hand in silent reassurance, also slightly expectant of Bulma's reaction to what would have to be revealed.

However, the moment that their fingers met and entwined, Bulma's blue eyes brightened, and she broke into a large grin, placing her cigarette on the small ashtray on the table that was in the dining room, snuffing out the small flame. "I _knew_ it," she said happily, before either of the two teens could talk. "Oh, Gohan, didn't I _tell_ you!?"

"Tell you _what_?" Videl asked, turning towards her boyfriend, whose cheeks had darkened slightly.

"I just _knew_ that you both had a thing for each other since the very beginning," Bulma began excitedly, "but _obviously_ you both refused to notice it until the whole Buu fiasco. _Finally_, though you're a couple! Oooh, I'm so _happy_ for you two, you're both so _adorable_! Has Chi already begun the wedding plans? I need to help her out!"

"Oh, no, Bulma, not you, too," Gohan groaned slightly, closing his eyes. "_What_ is the big deal about forcing us to get married? We just started dating!"

Bulma continued, as if she hadn't heard him. "Who else knows? Anyone else in the group know about you two? Oh…Gohan, did you tell her about…well, _us_?"

"If you're talking about the whole 'part super-powerful alien' gig, then yeah, I know about that," Videl answered, grinning.

"Good," the genius replied with a sigh of relief. "If you didn't know, you'd be in for a _huge_ shock. I'm surprised you seem so calm about it, though. If _I_ hadn't grown up around it, I'm sure I'd be freaking out if I found out now."

"Well, I've seen _lots_ of weird things since I first met Gohan," Videl answered truthfully.

"Uh, Bulma? We've kinda strayed off topic," Gohan piped up, trying to direct the conversation away from something that he _knew_ would eventually become embarrassing in some way, shape, or form. A small voice in his mind was telling him that, somehow, the conversation would turn back to embarrassing moments in their family, ones that Bulma would be all-too-willing to share with the newest female member of the group.

"Oh, right!" Bulma agreed, turning to her godson, curiosity now in her sky-blue eyes. "Why'd you two come over in the first place?"

"Well, you see…" Gohan decided just to say it straight. "Could you make a replica of Saiyaman's costume, except more feminine?"

At that odd request, Bulma raised a perfectly shaped blue eyebrow at him skeptically. "Of course; I _am_ a genius after all," she announced, sounding slightly insulted at the fact that Gohan might have believed that she _wouldn't_ be able to do that. "But _why_?"

"I want to fight crime with Gohan," Videl spoke up, lightly squeezing his hand as she spoke. "As Saiyagirl."

There was silence for a few moments as the blue-haired woman absorbed the information, one hand on her hip as she looked at the two teens. Then, she smiled slightly as she shook her head, laughing.

"All right, so you're gonna be Saiyaman's partner now, huh?" Bulma asked, smiling at how _cute_ it sounded.

"Yeah," Videl replied with an absentminded shrug.

"OK, I'll do it," Bulma said, smiling. "The main design is gonna be the same, but I think I'm gonna change the color scheme a bit. It'll take about half an hour, all right? Go and entertain yourselves somehow, go." With that, she made a shoo-ing motion with her hands, and the teenagers grinned at her, giving her their thanks quickly before they walked out of the room, while Bulma went to her lab to go and make Videl's costume.

"You know," Videl commented absentmindedly as they walked to a different room in the spacious house, "I thought that _the_ Bulma Briefs would be _totally_ different than that."

"How did you think she'd be?" Gohan asked with a raised eyebrow as he sat down on a rather comfortable couch, not letting go of his gentle hold on her hand.

"I dunno," Videl replied as she sat down in her boyfriend's lap, sitting sideways, untangling their fingers so that she could gently drape her arms around his thick neck. Both of his arms came around her waist on instinct at the gesture. "I guess I thought that she'd be one of those stuck-up celebrity snobs, ya know? Not as laid-back and nice as she is."

"Yeah, B's great," Gohan smiled. "It's hard to believe that she's famous sometimes. She's a part of our family—all of us are like one huge family, if you think about it."

Videl smiled at the thought—one big family consisting of many uncles and aunts and cousins. A family of friends. "It's really cute, how you all are so close to each other," she commented. "All weirdoes stick together, right?"

Gohan rolled his eyes slightly at the term that she'd used. "Yes, us 'weirdoes' stick together," he agreed, emphasizing the word 'weirdoes' on purpose. "You couldn't have come up with a better word than that?"

"How about insane psychos?" she offered sarcastically with her own eye-roll. "Or creepy freaks of nature?"

"Thank you for all of the compliments," Gohan shot back smartly, smirking. "Yes, those are all better than 'weirdoes'."

Videl lightly punched his chest, getting even more annoyed when he laughed at her seemingly pathetic attempt to harm him, ignoring the slight stinging of her hand now—she should've seen that coming. He was made of freaking _rock_. "Stop being such a wise guy," she told him peevishly. "And _don't_ laugh when I punch you. At least _pretend_ to be hurt when I do so."

"Ow," Gohan said, in the most unenthusiastic way possible, and laughed as he dodged another one of her punches easily, while she huffed with irritation once more at him, rolling her eyes.

"It's not _fair_ that you're half-freaking-_alien_," she sulked. "I mean, _nothing_ seems to harm you, I can't hurt you—hell, I get hurt instead!—and just…ugh!"

"Once again, I am terribly sorry that I cannot possibly change my genetic makeup," Gohan replied, smirking slightly. Damn, he had spent _way_ too much time with Vegeta and his smirks. It had unconsciously rubbed off on him.

"I hate you," she grumbled.

"I love you, too," he smirked once more, and then, before she could protest, he brought one of his hands around to behind her head and leaned in as he kissed her.

At first, Videl, still slightly irritated at him, tried to shove him away. For all her efforts, though, she would've had better luck with a statue…and it wasn't exactly as if she _wanted_ to escape the cage that he'd unconsciously trapped her in as he kissed her. Her faint struggles ceased when she felt his tongue lightly, almost shyly trace her bottom lip, asking for permission, and Videl granted it, completely succumbing to him as she opened his mouth and gave him access. Her own fingers went up into his own thick black hair, gripping it tightly, getting tangled in the slightly coarse strands as her other hand stood on his muscular neck. His hold on her waist was firm as he brought her hear slightly closer with his other hand, so that they could be able to get even more access to each other's mouths, both of their eyes closed as they kissed lovingly, passionately.

"I swear to all the gods, if you even _think_ of having sex on that couch, I will incinerate you both without hesitation."

Videl damn near fell off of Gohan's lap, his hold on her waist the only thing keeping her from tumbling down to the floor as they pulled away quickly, Videl especially startled by the gruff voice that had sounded behind them. Gohan was honestly surprised that he hadn't felt the familiar energy, which was another reason for his shock as he stared at the owner of the voice. Vegeta was standing there, obviously having just come from his shower, wearing a black tank top and gray sweatpants, a water bottle in his hand and his dark eyes glaring at the two, disgust written all over his features.

"What the _hell_, Vegeta?" Gohan shouted in annoyance, his cheeks turning a brilliant red as they flamed at what he was insinuating. "We weren't—"

"That's _my_ damned couch," the prince growled out, interrupting him. "I don't care if you have sex _anywhere_ else on this compound, just _not_ on that couch and _not_ where the younger brats can walk in and see you, unless you want to mentally scar them for life."

The teenaged boy groaned—Videl was still too shocked to speak, her own cheeks burning at the first statement the surly Saiyan had spoken. "We were _not_ going to do _that_, Vegeta," Gohan tried to explain.

Vegeta gave a disbelieving snort, rolling his eyes. "_Sure_ you weren't," he muttered. "The woman was right—human teenagers _are_ as horny as rabbits," he grumbled under his breath, casing Gohan's face to flush even more than before, so that he now resembled something close to a tomato.

"Oh, leave them alone, Vegeta," Bulma's voice said lightly from behind them, and they turned to see the blue-haired genius smirking at her husband, a small watch much like the one Gohan was wearing in her hand. "They're young and in love, let them have sex there if they want."

Gohan had thought that Bulma would be his saving grace—she was now proving to be even more of a cause of mortification unto him and his girlfriend, both of them red as beets at what the older couple was insinuating.

"_Bulma!"_ Gohan exclaimed indignantly, after regaining control of his vocal chords. "As I have told Vegeta, we are _not_ doing that!"

Bulma, however, sent a slightly conspiring wink his way once more. "_Sure_ you aren't," she teased, before tossing the small watch to Videl, who caught it on instinct. "That's the new outfit that you wanted, sweetie. It works just like Gohan's, OK?" Looking at the two teens, who were still blushing, Bulma couldn't help but grin some more—they were so _cute_, she couldn't get _over_ it.

"Oh, Vegeta and I are just teasing," she told them with a grin. "Right, honey?"

Vegeta's only reply was another snort. "You do _not_ speak for me, woman," he told her gruffly. "And I _wasn't_ joking. I do _not_ want them having sex on that couch. It's _mine_."

"Possessive much?" Bulma teased her husband with a conspiring wink, bringing her head up to kiss his cheek affectionately. The moment after she pulled away, he rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand, grumbling about the "damn blue-haired wench that he should've killed back on Namek" before she "cast her spells" on him. She laughed at her husband, shaking her head.

"Oh, Vegeta, don't act like such a prude," she joked. "How many times has our own _son_ caught us in rather intimate embraces?"

The Saiyan prince snorted once again. "Damn female, that's not the same thing," he retorted, though there were the beginnings of a light blush on his tanned cheeks.

"You're right—it's _worse_, since it's our kid," she shot back, smirking triumphantly. "Stop being such a damn hypocrite, Vegeta. You know that we like to screw around in many, _many_ odd places."

Her voice had dropped to a low, husky purr as she smirked at her prince. Vegeta's cheeks flushed dramatically at that, slightly angry now that the tables had been turned, and Gohan, with his sensitive Saiyan hearing, also turned crimson. He could've lived the rest of his life peacefully without hearing _that_ little tidbit of information from Bulma.

Bulma laughed at her lover's embarrassment, pecking him on his nose—she knew that it was something that irritated him to no end, and he let out a low growl at her antics. However, the intimidation that this usually had was considerably muted because of the fact that his cheeks were still furiously red. With that final thing, she couldn't resist tainting him more, and sauntered into the kitchen, her hips swaying slightly and a smirk on her face. No matter how hard he tried, the Saiyan prince was unable to take his eyes off of her voluptuous figure that was only emphasized by the tight-fitting red dress that she was wearing, and silently cursed the male hormones that did not allow him to take his eyes away from her well-rounded behind. He soon stalked into the kitchen after his wife, grumbling under his breath and knowing he'd have a 'talk' with her about what she said about their sex life with others.

It took Videl a few minutes to regain control of her vocal chords once more, still slightly shocked by what she had seen, cheeks still flushed slightly. "Gohan…" she trailed off, turning towards the other teenager who was also blushing, "what…exactly…_was_ that?"

Gohan shook his head. "_That_ was an almost normal encounter with Vegeta, and a typical conversation between him and Bulma," he answered in exasperation. At Videl's shocked look, he shook his head in slight sympathy for her. "Vegeta…well, he's…extremely blunt. To the point of embarrassment. So is Bulma at times, as you just saw now."

"…that was a _normal_ conversation between them?" she managed to get out, stunned.

Gohan nodded, letting out a sigh. "Yeah, I know, it's a lot to take in. And that's not even the worst of it. Wait until Yamcha comes over, or when Goten and Trunks are on a sugar high."

"…you're all crazy. Seriously."

"I know. Aren't I the most normal one now, considering what you've seen?"

At that, Videl couldn't help but let out a slightly strangled laugh, shaking her head at him. "Yes, you are," she admitted with a grin. He managed a slight smile in return, before a certain Saiyan prince suddenly came stomping back in the kitchen, still seeming pissed.

"Brat," he began, addressing Gohan gruffly, "that damnable woman has asked me to tell you that your harpy of a mother has called and said that it's time for you and the Kakarot clone to go home."

"Oh, OK," Gohan replied, and Videl stood up so that Gohan, too, could stand in preparation to leave. Gohan raised his energy slightly, so that Goten could feel the increase of it—it was sometimes their silent signal to each other, for one of them to come over to the other.

And that was when it happened.

For a mere millisecond, a tiny flash, Gohan felt…something. It was…odd, for sure. It felt like an energy, but not quite…like an emotion of raw, heated hatred…out of the blue, not coming from him. For one single fraction of a second, there was a moment, a spurt of unmatched, unrelenting hatred, anger..._fury_.

Gohan's eyes widened the slightest bit, and he spared a glance at Vegeta. Now, to someone who didn't really know the prince, one would think he still looked as aloof as ever; however, Gohan knew him rather well, and knew that he wasn't imagining things when he saw Vegeta's surprise. The pure-blooded Saiyan's eyes had widened a fraction for a moment as well, his muscles tensing the slightest bit, his body unconsciously preparing for battle. Their onyx eyes met for a second, Gohan's eyebrow raised a bit. He received a curt, short nod from Vegeta in return, the action that cemented it.

They both had felt something, but they weren't sure what, exactly, that had been.

"Hey, Gohan, you OK?" Videl asked, noticing that her boyfriend was acting weird.

Gohan quickly cleared his head of the uneasy thoughts that had begun to worm their way into his mind, and plastered a grin on his face as he turned to the young human woman. "Oh, nothing, Videl," he answered easily.

Videl pursed her lips, raising her eyebrow at him in slight disbelief, but decided to let it slide at the moment. She knew that she'd get her answers soon enough. In the meantime, she took his hand once more, threading their fingers together, causing him to smile a bit more.

It was that moment that Goten came bounding into the room, along with Trunks. Goten launched himself at his younger brother, seeming to be content with going home at the moment, while Trunks went to his father, giving him a quick hug. Vegeta relented, not pushing his son away, and Trunks sent the prince a brilliant smile before he went into the kitchen to help his mother with whatever she was doing.

"All right, we're off," Gohan announced. "Bye!"

"Bye, sweethearts!" Bulma called back from the kitchen. Trunks peeped his lavender-topped head out from the doorway of the kitchen, grinning at his best friend and the other two teens.

"See ya later, come back soon!" he told them, grinning.

"OK, will do!" Goten returned happily, holding onto his big brother's other hand.

"Hn," Vegeta grunted, in a manner normal for him to do. However, he locked eyes with Gohan for a moment, and opened the barely-used telepathic link between them.

_Keep on your guard, boy,_ he told the eldest half-Saiyan sternly. _We both sensed that, whatever it was. Be on watch at all times so that you can protect your family. I'm sure Kakarot felt it, too, and is also going to be watchful. This situation may be serious; do you understand?_

Gohan nodded solemnly. _Yes,_ he returned seriously.

Vegeta, in return, nodded brusquely, before closing their mental rapport. Gohan took it as his cue to leave, and after saying his goodbyes, he, Goten, and Videl took to the air and began to fly back to his house.

Goten began to chatter eagerly about what he and Trunks had done that day, honestly not caring if the two older kids were listening or not. Videl was listening to him often, and usually smiled as he enthusiastically spoke about all the things he did, now that she knew about his special heritage. Gohan joined in on the conversation, too, often speaking to Videl and to Goten as the three flew back to Mount Paozu.

However, no matter how hard he tried to put it out of his mind, that thing that he'd felt continued to nag at Gohan.

Just what, or who, had that emotion been coming from? Why had he felt it? And, even if this _was_ something to worry about, it couldn't _possibly_ be worse than the whole Majin Buu fiasco…

Right?

* * *

**I think this is my first official kinda-sorta-cliffhanger of this story :D**

**So, what did you think? I love Sharpener/Erasa, I think they're SUCH a cute little couple XD. And you thought that the nightmares were gone, didn't ya? No, I had them for a reason :D I wonder if you guys can guess why, it's a sketchy theory of mine that's probably gonna come up later. :D**

**By the way, Hurricane Sandy is _crazy_ right now. Well, at least I didn't have school today and don't have any tomorrow either :D but its so damn WINDY and its raining a lot. At least there isn't too much flooding here in New York, but the wind and rain is pretty bad. But it's not like you guys care about this, so I'll shut up about that now :3**

**Once again, this chapter was a special birthday present to two awesome people: for SierraLarson's extremely belated birthday and for DarkVoid 166's extremely early birthday as well :D hope you liked it!**

**Well, not much to say about this, except that I LOVED writing the whole Vegeta bit X3 I can kinda imagine that happening, can't you? I mean, he _is_ Vegeta, after all…X3 I also love Sharpener/Erasa. Did I say that already? XD **

**Anyways, guys, thanks for reading, hope you liked it! And please review, thank you! :D**


	12. The Carnival

**Thank you SOOOOOO much for all your reviews! :D they mean a lot to me, and I _really_ liked the whole embarrassing Vegeta scene in the last chapter, I had so much fun writing that bit X3**

**And to answer two of my reviewer's questions in the same time; first of all, guest, is there a problem with Broly? ;D just kidding. No, the villain is not Broly, sorry PaleShadow. I had considered it, but in the end, I decided not too :) even though I think Broly is totally badass and awesome, I didn't want to add him in here, I already decided on another villain so…yeah :3.**

**Also, I'd really like to thank some of you for your consideration about my condition because of Sandy. I'm just fine, the only thing I lost was cell service a few days ago, it's back now though. We still had electricity and everything. And schools were closed ALL OF LAST WEEK. Cause of joy and celebration. :D**

**And HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, Darkvoid116! I know last chapter was for early birthday, but I was able to do another chapter and get it done ALMOST BY his birthday. So HOPE YA LIKE YOUR SLIGHTLY-LATE BIRTHDAY PRESENT! :D**

**Well, that's all I had to say. I'm sure everyone is gonna hate me for what I'm gonna do here…so…ENJOY! XD**

**Disclaimer: I _hate_ the game Chubby Bunny. I always lose. Never get more than 5 marshmallows. Oh…and I also don't own DBZ.**

* * *

"So, Goku," Chi-Chi began, a smile on her pale features, "what do you think of Videl so far?"

Goku grinned at her, his dark eyes shining. "She seems very polite and nice, _and_ she's a fighter," he replied. "Gohan seems really happy to be with her, too. She kinda reminds me of you, Chi."

She grinned at her husband's statement. "Well, thank you, Goku," she smiled, seasoning a piece of meat as she also protectively watched her youngest son from the window. He was playing outside without a care in the world, another sight that made her smile.

The half-Saiyan teenager had left the house a few minutes ago with his girlfriend to bring her back to her home. When they had arrived at Mount Paozu, Goten had instantly jumped into his father's arms, happily hugging him—it was also then that Goten suddenly noticed the way that Gohan and Videl were holding hands. As such, the little boy learned about their relationship right then and there, and was extremely happy at the fact that Videl was going to be his 'big sister' soon. Gohan and Videl had both blushed, still remembering their rather awkward conversation with Vegeta and Bulma before, causing Goku and Chi-Chi to laugh.

Goku had also told Gohan about the odd flash of that emotion, of that pure, undulating hatred. He had felt it, as well, and, after a quick mental call to Piccolo, it was confirmed that the two Namekians on the Lookout had felt the odd surge as well. However, they all resolved not to tell anyone else of what they had felt—they didn't want to cause any unnecessary worry, and would prepare for the possible threat by themselves without bringing fear to their loved ones.

"_Both_ of them remind me of us a bit," Chi-Chi continued as she prepared dinner for her boys. She heard laughter outside; she smiled fondly, looking out the window to see Goten flying around, chasing a butterfly eagerly. He always loved to chase butterflies.

"How?" Goku asked, curiously raising his eyebrow at his wife. He, too, was in the kitchen, sitting on one of the chairs as he leaned it back at bit, his arm resting on the back of another chair.

The raven-haired woman smiled a bit more, now turning to face Goku slightly. "Well, for one, they're both fighters, and participated in the Tournament, like we had done. And they way that they're acting reminds me of the way we acted after we became engaged." She fondly smiled as she reminisced. "I _still_ remember when you thought marriage was a type of food," she told him, shaking her head. "I don't think that can _ever_ be forgotten."

Goku chuckled, remembering it as well. "Yeah, well, I didn't know about a lot of things. You remember how I had to check to make sure someone was a girl or a boy?"

Chi-Chi let out a slight snort in response. "Oh, do I remember _that_," she muttered with an eye-roll, remembering that certain encounter. If Goku hadn't been as obviously innocent as he had been, she would've thought he was a molester, after hearing all the things he'd done.

The Saiyan let out a laugh. "I remember how angry you were when I didn't recognize you at the Tournament—you looked so _different_ from the Chi-Chi that I remembered, though. And I remember the wedding…our honeymoon, and when we had Gohan…it was amazing."

Chi-Chi smiled, a slightly forlorn look on her face now as she turned away. "And _then_ everything went downhill," she said quietly. "When Raditz came…everything was shattered. You _died_, Gohan had to train with that green _monster_, and the whole Namek scenario, and then you getting the heart virus and the Androids and Cell and dying _again_, and then the whole Majin Buu ordeal…" She shook her head, refusing to remember all the times that she'd had to anxiously wait for her precious family to come back to her, the worry that had gone through her, the knowledge that they might not come back…

Goku noticed something was off with his beautiful wife, and he got up off of his chair and walked over to her, concern in his dark gaze as he gently placed his hands on her hips. "Chi…what's wrong?" he asked gently.

Chi-Chi turned around to face him completely, her own dark eyes shining a bit with her unshed tears. "Goku…it's just…after everything that happened…I can't help but always worry. What if something comes and takes you away again? What if something happens to Gohan, or Goten? What if a new enemy comes and tries to destroy the world again, and you have to go fight it, and I have absolutely nothing to do but sit on the sidelines and _wait_ and desperately hope that you and our sons are all right?"

"Shhh, Chi," he said gently, bringing a hand up to caress her cheek with his palm. He looked deep into her worried dark brown eyes, his own onyx ones warm with his love for her, as he smiled at her a bit. Her reaction cemented the fact that he wouldn't voice the slight worries that had come over him to her, not wanting to give her another reason to fear for their safety. "Even if any of that _does_ happen, we'll be fine."

"That's what you said about Cell, Goku. That's what you said about Namek. That's what you said about Majin Buu," Chi-Chi whispered, shaking her head. "But you died with Cell. You almost died on Namek. We _all_ died with Majin Buu. Even though it all turned out all right in the end…still, Goku…" She bit her lip as she cast another glance outside, where Goten was still happily chasing the butterflies.

"I can't lose any of you again," she confessed in a choked whisper. "Losing you back with Cell…when we heard that Gohan was dead…Goku, I wouldn't be able to take it. I've already lost you twice; our sons have died…I don't want anything to happen again. I can't lose you again!"

"Hey, Chi, it's OK, shhh, I'm here," Goku said comfortingly, wrapping his muscular arms around her smaller form. She buried her head in his chest, holding back the tears as he comfortingly ran his fingers through her now loose black hair—she rarely ever let it down, usually only letting it out of its bun when she was going to sleep or when she just didn't feel like pulling it up. Another reason she hadn't pulled it up was because she knew that Goku loved it when she let her hair down, and she was now being comforted as he ran his strong fingers through her glossy raven locks.

"I promise, Chi, I'm here to stay," he reassured her gently, bending down to kiss her forehead gently. He had learned the night that he had come back that his leaving for seven years hadn't exactly benefited anyone, and regretted his choice. He'd honestly thought that all the bad guys came to Earth because of _him_, because they wanted to seek revenge against something that he had done. He'd thought that everyone was safer since he was gone, but it hadn't seemed to be the case. As such, he now vowed never to leave his family like that again.

"No matter what happens, it'll be all right," Goku continued to comfort her, his hand still combing through her black hair. "Don't cry, Chi, please don't cry. I don't like it when you cry, Chi, it makes me hurt too."

Hearing that, the woman looked up at her lover, unable to stop one of the tears from escaping her eyes. She truly loved her boys, and the thought of _any_ of them being hurt again was just too much for her to bear. Gently, though, Goku's thumb brushed under her eye, catching the small tear with his finger as he wiped it away from her beautiful features.

"Everything will be OK, Chi," he told her quietly, looking into her eyes. Hearing those words, seeing the concern and love for her in his gaze, how could Chi-Chi _not_ believe his words? He was so sure, so calm, and so gentle…she managed the slightest of nods in agreement, still curled up in his broad chest, his arms still holding her close.

"If you say so, Goku," she whispered, struggling to keep her voice steady. "I believe you." At this, Goku smiled a bit, and brought her chin up one again so that they were making eye-contact with each other. He tucked a stray strand of long black hair back behind her ear so that he could see her warm brown eyes, so that her beautiful face was completely revealed.

"It really _will_ be OK," he said in reassurance, his voice holding complete sureness in it. Then, his voice became gentle, and he whispered, "I love you, Chi."

Hearing those words from his mouth never got old, and she flung her arms around his neck in return, his hold on her waist getting the slightest bit tighter on instinct and in slight protectiveness. "Oh, Goku, sweetheart, I love you, too, I love you so much, honey," she told him in reply, her eyes now shining with happy tears. Smiling down at her, Goku gently brought his head down to hers, before he completely closed the gap between their lips in a kiss.

She responded naturally, eagerly, passionately to his kiss. Seven years without a man had been _far_ too long, and it seemed that Goku had felt the same way; the night that he'd come back, they had entered passionate lovemaking all through the night and hadn't stopped until the early hours of the morning. Even though they had been parted for seven years, they had easily and quickly become reacquainted with each other's familiar bodies that night. Last night, too, had been made up of pure passion; they seemed to be insatiable in their desire for each other.

The kiss was slowly evolving into the beginnings of something far more intimate as Chi-Chi brought her hands up into his hair, gripping the thick black strands, while one of Goku's hands remained fisted in her silky black locks, his other one traveling down and resting on her hip, holding her even closer to him. His lips soon began to travel down her neck, onto her collarbone, so gentle and yet so firm as well upon her skin…

However, the passionate moment was suddenly broken as Goku's stomach growled, causing the two to break apart and laugh slightly. Chi-Chi shook her head at her husband, smiling.

"There'll be plenty of time later, after dinner," she told him, affectionately kissing his cheek. "And we wouldn't want Goten accidentally walking in on us, now would we?"

Goku chuckled. "Well, I guess we wouldn't," he agreed.

She raised her eyebrow. "You _guess_?" she repeated, shaking her head once more as he let go of her, while she turned around and continued to prepare the large dinner for her family. Goku didn't reply, grinning as he placed his hands on his wife's hips once more, before he sneakily tried to steal some food that he figured was out of her sight, reaching his hand towards one of the dumplings that had been made before for them before as a snack.

However, before he could grab it, Chi-Chi grabbed a spatula and lightly smacked his hand with it in warning. "No, Goku," she reprimanded him. "You've already had _far_ more than your share of those. The extras are for Gohan and Goten, understand?"

"Awh, but Chi-Chi, you're cooking's so _good_, and I don't _wanna_ wait for dinner," he slightly complained. The black-haired woman turned around, and, upon seeing the puppy-eyed look that he was giving him and the slight pout that he'd fallen into, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't even try it, sweetheart," she told him. "Go and entertain yourself—see how Goten's doing, play with him a bit."

"OK," Goku relented, unable to resist gently wrapping his arms around her waist once more, kissing her neck. He never realized how much he'd really missed his wife until he came back into her company. "I love you, Chi," he told her again quietly.

Chi-Chi smiled. "I love you, too, Goku," she said in reply, turning around in his arms to give him one final, gentle kiss. "Now, go outside and spend some time with your son, OK? I'm sure he'd love to play with you."

Goku grinned, nodding as he let go of his beautiful wife, before exiting the house and going outside to play with Goten. Chi-Chi watched through the kitchen window as Goten ran up to his father, giving him an excited hug, before the two got into a slight tussle. She smiled fondly, feeling love welling up in her heart at the sight of the two. She loved her boys with all of her heart—if anything else happened to them, she would be devastated.

But Majin Buu had, so far, been the worst thing that they'd faced, and in the end, they all had pulled through. Nothing could be worse than that whole disaster, she knew it.

And Goku was back. Her family was, once again, complete. And, as long as they stood together, she knew that everything would be all right.

* * *

When people were in love, Videl realized that they would sometimes do crazy things that they never thought that they would've done before.

For example, the black-haired crime-fighter never thought that she'd be wearing Saiyaman's outfit (with albeit different colors: the spandex suit was purple, the tunic a pretty aqua color, the belt white, an orange cape, and a helmet like Gohan's originally that had a yellow heart on it for femininity). Nor did she ever think she would actually do the ridiculous poses that Saiyaman had done, and would actually have a little, dare she say it, _fun_ doing the poses, laughing internally at their slight silliness. She never thought she'd be spewing out the slightly corny lines that they had been saying. And yet, even though she was kind-of making a fool of herself…she realized that she honestly didn't care.

She didn't want the world to know about her being Saiyagirl—she wasn't sure how people would react to it. More often than not, Videl was Saiyagirl when she fought crime alongside Gohan; this cause the police to wonder what happened to Videl Satan. It was only to them that Videl had confessed her secret about being Saiyagirl, and they had promised not to tell after getting over the initial shock. Surprisingly enough, nobody really noticed the absence of Videl Satan, and was readily accepting Saiyagirl for the time being. Crimes didn't seem to be being committed as much anymore, anyway—everyone was still probably in shock after the whole Buu scenario, and probably didn't want to create any more chaos. However, when there _were_ criminals, she and Gohan always managed to get there and kick their sorry asses.

It was fun, in all honesty, to fight crime with Gohan. If there were ever goons with guns, she would inwardly chuckle as Gohan easily bent the gun, or caught the bullets if they had been fired. Then, while those crooks would scatter in fear, they would easily knock them our or handcuff them and hand them over to the police.

The week had passed surprisingly quickly, and it was now Saturday—and Gohan had asked her out once more, to which she had easily agreed. They had actually made it a double date; Gohan had asked in the school, and Erasa had heard and convinced Sharpener that they should go with the other black-haired couple. Of course, no one would say no to Erasa, so they were going on a double date to the amusement park in Central City, so that it would be more than likely that they wouldn't run into any of their school friends besides the two blondes.

Currently, Videl was flying with Gohan, who had stopped by her house a few minutes ago to "pick her up", in a sense. They had decided to go to the amusement park together and wait for Sharpener and Erasa there, and then officially begin the date.

"You look really pretty today, Videl," Gohan told his girlfriend, grinning. "I mean, you _always_ look pretty, but…well, I like the way those clothes look on you."

Videl blushed the slightest bit at his comments, managing a small smile in return. "Thanks, Gohan," she replied. Normally, she would've worn her black spandex biker shorts and an oversized T-shirt, but Erasa had dragged her into shopping the day before once more, the moment that she'd learned about the date and had made it a double date. As such, she was determined that her crime-fighting best friend would wear a 'cute' outfit for the date, which was the reason that Videl was so…femininely dressed at the moment, she thought with disgruntlement. She had to admit, though, she looked rather nice…and Gohan rather liked her outfit, too, which was a bonus and was a good enough reason for her to be happy with her outfit.

She was currently wearing a pair of denim shorts that were dyed a pretty violet color (it was the _shade_ of purple that made the difference, Erasa had said. When they had gone shopping for bikinis, the type of purple had been to reddish/pinkish, which hadn't matched with Videl. These shorts, however, had more blue in them, and therefore it apparently made it the perfect shade for her. Videl hadn't really understood, and had just gone along with what her best friend had been saying—Erasa always seemed to be good at these types of things). They were…shorter than she was used to wearing, but hey, they looked _amazing_ on her and emphasized her legs. She was also wearing a cute button-up sleeveless shirt, the buttons the same shade as her shorts. It was a gentle lime-green—not neon, but muted a bit, and there was even a small bow around the middle of the shirt, under about four or five buttons. It flattered her petite figure nicely. To complete the look, Erasa had managed to get her in a pair of cute purple sandals (with slight heels. _Heels._ But it wasn't too bad, Videl had to admit, only an inch at most), yet again, the same hue as the shorts.

She had to say, she looked rather fine, and she knew it, too.

"Well, you don't look that bad yourself," Videl added as she looked her boyfriend over. "You need to wear tanks more often."

Gohan laughed, shaking his head. "I'll keep that in mind," he chuckled. He was sporting a white tank top, exposing his muscular arms and clinging to the perfectly chiseled muscles on his chest. Added to the way that he deliciously filled out his dark jeans, Videl had to admit that he looked really, _really_ nice today, as she inwardly smirked.

"Why don't you wear them at school?" she asked curiously. "I mean, you always wear such baggy clothes to school when, honestly, you've got nothing to hide."

"Well, I…I don't want too many people knowing about how I'm a fighter," Gohan confessed. "It just…it would complicate things, I think. And I just…I don't want them to start asking questions. I'm sure I'll slip up eventually, and…well, none of the scenarios in my head end up well."

"Oh," Videl said in understanding, sending a small smile his way. "I get it."

Gohan nodded gratefully. "So, what time did your dad say to be home by again?" he asked, easily changing the subject.

"Oh, before eight, like last time," she answered nonchalantly. "You know, I thought he would be a _lot_ stricter with dating, but…well, technically, I'm safer with _you_ than I am with _him_, and he knows it, so I think he's kind of OK with it."

The demi-Saiyan teen chuckled. "Does he know about you being Saiyagirl?"

"I think he does, and I don't think he minds about that, either," Videl answered. "I mean, once again, he knows you're Saiyaman, and that you're stronger than him, and is probably glad that I'm fighting crime with a bulletproof person who is always wanting to protect me." She sent him a grin, and he easily returned the gesture.

Before the two knew it, they had reached the destination, having filled up the time with absentminded conversations. They made sure no one was watching as they landed silently on a street that currently had no people walking on it, seeing the amusement park only two blocks away. As they got closer to the park, Videl saw a familiar black car in front of the place, and grinned even more widely as she noticed that her two blonde friends were already there, their backs facing the black-haired couple as they examined the ticket prices.

"We're here," Gohan announced once they had reached the two blondes. Erasa whipped around, and let out an excited squeal. There was barely any time before she ran to them and threw herself at Videl in a hug, and the young crime-fighting woman couldn't help but laugh as she returned her best friend's eager embrace.

"You know, 'Rase," Videl commented, smirking, "we _did_ just see each other yesterday."

"What_ever_," Erasa retorted, pulling back from their hug, before she excitedly clapped her hands together at her best friend's attire. "Oh, Vi, what did I tell you? Those clothes look so _cute_ on you!"

Videl laughed again, shaking her head slightly. "Yes, Erasa, you're always right when it comes to fashion and clothes," she agreed with a grin. The blonde girl was wearing a cute pink tube top, a thick ivory belt with a golden clasp under her breasts, and a pair of white denim short shorts, along with a set of ivory sandals with slight heels on them as well. As always, Erasa looked ready to model for anything, her clothes going perfectly with her blond hair and blue eyes.

"Wow, Erasa," Sharpener commented from behind his girlfriend as he came up behind her. "You managed to get _the_ Videl Satan into feminine clothing? I respect you even _more_ for achieving a feat like that."

At this, Videl took no hesitation in taking a swing at her other friend, which he just barely dodged as he snickered, bringing his hand up to keep his black-and-red baseball cap on his head. Along with that, he was clad in a black tank top and a pair of light, faded distressed denim jeans, sneakers on his feet.

"_Wow_, Gohan," Erasa gushed, looking at his attire appreciatively. "You _have_ to wear tank tops more often."

At this comment, Gohan blushed slightly, rubbing the back of his head in slight embarrassment, an involuntary trait that he'd inherited from his father. Videl couldn't help but notice how adorable that was—when _she_ had commented on his clothing, he had laughed; when another person of the opposite gender did so, though, Gohan's innocence would take over as a light blush stained his cheeks. "Um…" was all Gohan managed to get out, slightly sheepish.

"Aw, hell no," Sharpener groaned. "Brains, why are you stealing my look?"

Erasa raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend as she turned around to face him. "'Your' look?" she repeated skeptically.

"Yes, _my_ look," Sharpener repeated, running a hand through his long blond hair. "I brought the tank to a _whole_ new level of sexiness, and now Brains is trying to steal my glory!"

"Well, it's not Gohan's fault that he's more muscular than you," Videl couldn't resist adding with a smirk. "So I guess that he brings the tank top to a level of sexiness _above_ that which you had made." She snickered slightly at the red blush that was now coating Gohan's pale cheeks as he tried to stammer out a reply, but was unable to form coherent sentences from his embarrassment.

"_Yes_, he does," Erasa agreed eagerly. "_Especially_ with arms like _those_."

Sharpener looked at his girlfriend with indignation written all over his features. "'Rase!" he exclaimed, eyes wide. "Come on, I thought that you said that you liked my muscles and that I made tanks look sexy, too!"

The blonde-haired girl giggled. "Oh, Sharpie, stop being jealous," she teased, before giving his bare bicep a squeeze. "I like your muscles just the way they are, OK?"

"Um…guys, shouldn't we be getting our tickets?" Gohan piped up, wanting to turn away from the slightly awkward conversation.

Videl smiled at her boyfriend, deciding that she'd spare him from any more mortification now that she'd had her amusement. "Yeah, guys, we should go get them," she agreed, turning to the two blondes who had been exchanging playful banter. Then, she began to walk towards the ticket booth along with Gohan, the boy lightly lacing their fingers together as they strolled over. This action caused her to smile the slightest bit more as she rested her head on his strong shoulder, Erasa and Sharpener following behind them.

After the four teenagers got their tickets, they entered the large amusement park, instantly assaulted by bright colors and the sounds and smells of a carnival. There were screams of exhilaration from people on rides; vendors selling roasted peanuts and water and cotton candy and ice cream; music sounding from different attractions; brightly colored balloons and light flashing from rides, even though it was eleven in the morning—they had wanted to get to the park early, so that they would be able to get on _all_ the rides that they could. They had agreed that they would have lunch at the park, and then would try to leave around five-thirty-ish, so that they could possibly have dinner together, too.

"So, what're we gonna do, guys?" Sharpener asked, his arm draped around his girlfriend's bare shoulders. "Where are we gonna meet, and when?"

"Well, I think that we should all meet at the food court around…one-thirty," Videl said after pondering it for a moment. "We'll meet there—whoever gets there first will save a table for the other two. We'll eat lunch there, and then we'll go to the rest of the rides that we wanna go to until five-thirty, when we meet at the exit. Sound good?"

The other three teens nodded in agreement with Videl's plan, before Erasa gasped as she caught sight of something.

"Oh, Sharpie, let's go on the Ferris Wheel!" she exclaimed happily, grabbing onto the hand that was on her shoulder, turning to him. "Please?"

Sharpener chuckled. "Sure, babe," he agreed, and Erasa eagerly pulled him towards the line for the Ferris Wheel, the two blondes calling their goodbyes to their black-haired friends as they disappeared into the crowd.

"So, where do you wanna go, Videl?" Gohan asked once the other couple had left.

"A roller coaster," Videl answered instantly. "Come on, let's find a good one before the lines get too long!"

Thankfully, it was still a bit early for people to be coming to the park, and the roller coaster lines weren't long. After they had gone on three rather fun ones, Videl seemed to have gotten on enough roller coasters to be an adequate amount, and it was now Gohan's turn to choose where they went.

"Well, I dunno where to go," Gohan admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head once more. "There's so many rides to choose from."

Videl laughed. "Well, we can decide where to go later. Why don't we play some of the carnival games?"

"Sure," Gohan easily agreed, following his girlfriend as she led him to one of the booths scattered around the amusement park. She soon led him to a shooting game, where there were a hundred moving targets to shoot, each one worth ten points. Six people could play, and the winner was able to choose a different prize depending on how many points he/she gained.

Before Videl could pay for her and Gohan to play, though, a group of four teenage boys came up beside them as they walked towards the booth. The boy who seemed to be the leader, an admittedly cute guy that seemed to be the very definition of a surfer—a tanned, muscular torso, sandy blond hair, and sea-green eyes, wearing a blue tank top and red shorts—came up to them, followed by his groupies. Gohan and Videl's gazes snapped towards them, and the leader was giving Videl a thorough once-over with his eyes, before he let out a low whistle.

"Hey, baby," he said in a sultry tone, smirking at Videl. "Why don't you ditch that guy and let a _real_ man show you a good time?" The boys behind him guffawed with laughter, while Videl simply looked at him indignantly. She didn't notice the way Gohan's obsidian eyes suddenly turned into a harsh, cold glare at the boy who was in front of them, unable to hear the low growl that was building up in his throat.

"Ex-_cuse_ me," Videl sniffed, turning her nose up at them. "In case you haven't noticed, I already have a boyfriend, thank you very much, and I would appreciate it if you didn't speak to me like I'm an airhead." With that, she let out a haughty "hmph!" and turned away from them.

"Oooh, feisty," the surfer commented, coming closer. "I like girls with…_fire_ in them."

"Screw off," she muttered angrily, crossing her arms in annoyance. "I'm not some damned creature to tame, so leave me the hell alone. Now, if you'll _excuse_ us—"

"Oh, come on, sweetheart," surfer boy told her, another one of his smirks on his handsome features. "You're one nice piece of ass, why don't you come with me and my buddies? I'm sure your 'boyfriend' wouldn't mind." The way that he spoke the word 'boyfriend' was as if he didn't truly believe it, as if it was something rather hilarious to even insinuate. His friends let out snickers behind him at that.

Videl felt Gohan's arm suddenly wrap around her small waist, feeling slightly like he was trapping her in a steel cage. She turned to look at him, and was honestly surprised to see the cold anger within his normally warm onyx eyes, which now looked like chips of flint, and she was now able to feel the low growl that was rumbling from his chest in resentment directed towards the boys. She suddenly remembered what he'd said about his Saiyan side, how sometimes, the Saiyans had been more animalistic than human; she understood what he meant by that now.

"Actually, I would mind _very_ much," Gohan told them seriously, his voice low as he struggled to keep his calm, fought to keep the growls from escaping his throat completely. "And I believe that she told you to leave her alone."

At this, the group of young men all chuckled again. "Oh, stop trying to act all tough," one of the surfer's friends commented, a boy with black hair, brown eyes, peachy skin that was slightly sunburned, and a rather large nose.

"Yeah," Surfer-Dude agreed, smirking at Videl as he sent Gohan a dirty look. "You aren't tough. Let the girl decide, man. She isn't a possession for you to keep."

"I _know_ that she is her own person," Gohan retorted angrily, his energy rising the slightest bit in his frustration and irritation. "_You_, however, don't seem to know that."

The surfer glared at Gohan. "Hey, you got a problem with me?" he asked, causing the teens behind him to go "oooh" in anticipation of a fight.

Before Gohan could retort, Videl gently placed her hand on his arm. In response, Gohan's eyes flickered down towards her once more, his ebony eyes still sharp as flint; however, once they met with her blue ones, she saw them soften the slightest bit. "Gohan, they're not worth it," she told him, loud enough for the group of boys to hear her. "Come on, let's go."

Her hold on Gohan was the only thing keeping him from growling in anger as they left the group behind, with the lead surfer-dude sputtering in indignation. She led him to the booth that they had originally started walking towards before they had been sidetracked, hearing him take deep breaths.

"I'm sorry about that, Videl," he told her sincerely, once he had regained control over himself.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for, Gohan; they were a bunch of assholes who were deliberately trying to rile you up," Videl told him rationally, smiling a bit at him. "I think it's sweet how you want to defend me, though."

"_Still_, though…" The teenaged boy shook his head. "I overreacted. I'm sorry."

"Let's just forget it, OK? And I swear to god, Gohan, if you say that you're sorry one more damned time, I will punch you. Understand?" she told him seriously, looking at him sternly. "There's nothing to be sorry for. It was reasonable—those guys were hitting on me even though it's obvious that we're together, and you reacted like any normal dude would if another one was making a move on his girlfriend. OK?"

Seeing that there was no arguing with the young woman, he sighed and nodded, completely in control of himself at the moment. Seeing his submission, Videl smiled gently at him once more, before she led him over to the carnival game. She paid for them both to play, and the person in the booth took their cash before waiting for a little while to see if anyone else wanted to play with the two. And, after a minute, to the couple's disgruntlement, the group of teenage boys that Gohan had nearly snapped at before came up, the leader roughly elbowing Gohan as he paid for the four of them to play the game too.

"Gohan, remember, they're not worth it. Ignore them," Videl told him quietly. He nodded stiffly, and the two got ready to shoot.

"Hey, you," the surfer said, poking Gohan once again. The black-haired teen turned to face him, forcing himself to keep calm, and didn't respond, simply looking at the boy.

"Winner gets the girl; you on?" he smirked, once again glancing at Videl from around Gohan.

"She isn't a prize to be won," the half-Saiyan replied, trying to keep his voice monotone and detached but failing as it lowered in anger. "So you should stop speaking about as if she is. She's her own person and can decide who she wants to be with."

Before the conversation could get ugly, the lady in the booth told them to get ready to start, and then yelled for them to begin as the targets began to suddenly pop up and move very, very quickly.

For Gohan, it was rather easy to hit the moving targets—his sharp Saiyan eyesight was almost able to see where they would go to, able to calculate their path, and his lightning-fast reflexes were a great help in the situation as he shot rapidly, at any target that got in his direct line of sight. Before the forty-five-second second time limit was up, the game had ended, since all one hundred targets had been knocked down. All of them then looked at their scores, which were displayed on the screen that was slightly above where the targets had popped up.

Videl herself had managed to get 80 points; the group of boys combined had managed to get 190, the highest score being 60 points. Which meant that Gohan had gotten 730 points.

The group and the lady in the booth looked at the black-haired boy in shock, while Videl simply looked at the slightly smug look on her boyfriend's face and tried to hold in the snickers. She had known that, with his superior Saiyan senses and reflexes, he would win effortlessly—seeing their shock was utterly hilarious.

"Um…you can pick any prize," the lady in the booth managed to get out, gesturing to the different stuffed animals that one could win. Gohan instantly looked at the biggest ones, and his black eyes fell on a large, plushy jaguar that was white with chocolate-brown russets, its fur having a light shimmery tone to it, its eyes dark brown and a bright red bow on its right ear. With a grin, he remembered that Videl had said that she liked predators such as this, and that red was also her favorite color, so he took the stuffed animal without hesitation. He then turned to Videl, and extended the adorable stuffed animal to her.

"Here ya go, Videl," he said, grinning, now in a good mood since he'd easily shown up that group of boys in something, as they continued to stare at him in pure shock.

The young woman's blue eyes widened when she saw the plush jaguar, and her face turned into a bright smile when she saw that Gohan had chosen it because it contained a few of her favorite things. She took it from him, and then hugged it to her chest, laughing.

"Oh, thank you so much, Gohan!" she told him, unable to stop herself from gently pecking his cheek in affection. "It's _perfect_!"

Gohan chuckled at her reaction. "I'm glad you like it."

"…thank you for playing," the owner of the booth told them, still trying to get over her shock—barely _anyone_ managed to get over 400 points, and that was if they were lucky. Seeing the boy effortlessly gain 700 points was rather shocking for her, and for the other group as well. The two black-hared teens nodded, before they walked away, with Videl holding onto her new plush toy happily.

"Don't you think you overdid it a bit with the game?" she asked Gohan teasingly, giving him a knowing look.

Gohan shrugged. "No, not really." This elicited a laugh from Videl, and he grinned down at his girlfriend, happy that she was enjoying herself and that they had seemed to have ditched the group of boys. "Hey, how much time before we meet up with Sharpener and Erasa?" he asked curiously.

At that, Videl looked down at her watch. "We've still got about forty-five minutes before one-thirty," she replied, now turning her gaze back to Gohan. "We've still got lots of time."

He nodded. Suddenly, though his eyes widened, and a smile made its way onto his face. Seeing the odd expression cross his features, Videl looked at him quizzically, raising a black eyebrow at him. "What is it, Gohan?" she asked.

"I just realized that Krillin's here, too," he replied. "He probably came with Eighteen and Marron for some family time here." He had been wondering why he'd felt an odd pricking at his skull, his sixth sense unconsciously sensing Krillin. He didn't recognize the energy signature until now, not having noticed he was feeling the repressed energy of his close friend, which was heading towards them at a leisurely pace.

"How do you guys _do_ that?" Videl asked. "I mean, Krillin told me about how you guys are able to sense energy; how, exactly, is that possible?"

"Oh, well, it's not too hard," he replied offhandedly, grinning. "I can teach you that if you like, too. But all it is…it's like a sixth sense. And once you learn it, you just know it. All you do is…you kind of reach your senses, and…well, it'll be easier when I teach you."

Videl laughed. "Yeah, I can see that," she replied with a grin, noticing how Gohan seemed to be fumbling over his words as he tried to come up with a reasonable explanation for explaining what he felt was second nature to him, just like flying had been. "OK, I'll take you up on your offer."

"Cool," he grinned in reply.

Just then, a family of three walked around the corner of a ride, a familiar family consisting of two blonde females and one extremely short, black-haired male who lacked a nose and who was grinning brightly at Gohan as he walked over with his family.

"What a coincidence, Gohan," Krillin joked at he went up to the teenaged boy, his wife following behind him as she held their daughter's hand. "Fancy seeing you here."

"It's nice to see you, too, Krillin," Gohan grinned. "Hi, Eighteen, and hey there, Marron."

Eighteen nodded, while Marron returned Gohan's grin, smiling brightly up at the tall boy. "Hi, Gohan!" she greeted happily, holding onto a small rag doll that had red yarn for hair and a cute little blue dress, black buttons for eyes.

"Oh, hey, Videl!" Krillin said, noticing the other black-haired teen as he grinned at her. "Wow, where'd ya get _that_?" he teased, gesturing to the large stuffed jaguar that was in her arms.

"At one of the carnival games over there; I think it's called 'Rapid Fire'," Videl answered, nodding her head in the general direction of the booth she and Gohan had just come from. "Gohan won it for me." At this, she sent a brilliant smile her boyfriend's way, and he grinned back at her.

Krillin's dark eyes flickered between the two teenagers after seeing their exchange, and they suddenly widened in realization as a large grin slowly spread across his face. "So, you guys finally made it official, huh?" he asked, smirking at Gohan. "I _told_ ya that you two had a thing for each other, but _no_, you wouldn't listen."

"Fine, Krillin, you were right," Gohan admitted with a slight roll of his eyes.

"And the good thing is that Chi-Chi approves of her, too," Krillin added. "So, who's gonna be your best man for the wedding?"

Gohan groaned, shaking his head. "No. I _just_ had this conversation with Bulma on Monday. We just started _dating_, Krillin; I think it's the _slightest_ bit early to start making wedding plans."

"Well, your mom obviously doesn't think that," Krillin snickered. "And, hey, just wondering…how'd your dad take it, Videl?"

"Surprisingly, very well," Videl answered truthfully. "He didn't try to shoot Gohan, which is pretty good, all things considered. He seems to realize that Gohan is obviously more powerful than him, so he can't use the whole 'You aren't allowed to date anyone unless they're stronger than me' thing on him." When she was imitating what her father had said, she deliberately deepened her voice, making her sound rather ridiculous. Marron giggled at that, and Videl sent the little blond girl a smile; shyly, though, the five-year-old ducked behind her mother's leg, still a bit bashful around Videl, who she hadn't seen _nearly_ as much as she had Gohan. Even so, though, Marron smiled timidly back at the teenaged young woman.

"That's good," the former monk grinned at the two, conspiringly winking at Gohan. "See, told ya that, once you got on her dad's good side, you'd be fine."

"OK, you were correct on a lot of things," Gohan said, deciding to just go along with his friend at the moment.

"Daddy, Daddy!" Marron whispered, having gone up to her father and begun tugging on his hand.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Krillin said, showing that he was listening to his little girl as he looked down at her, while Eighteen smiled slightly at their interaction from behind them.

"Can we go to the bumper cars with Gohan and…and Videl?" the little girl asked, casting the teens an excited look.

Krillin smiled. "Sure, if they agree." He then turned to the two teens, knowing that Gohan had heard but that Videl probably hadn't. "Marron wants to know if you two would like to go to the bumper cars with us."

"Sure," Videl agreed, after exchanging a glance with Gohan and seeing his silent nod. "We'll come with you guys."

Marron grinned brightly at them, before the group of five now went to the area where the bumper cars were. The line wasn't very long, and soon, they were at the ticket booth. After giving the bored man their tickets, they went into their own cars, Marron climbing into the car with her mother.

While the bumper cars were filling up with people, Krillin called the two teens' names. They turned to look at him, seeing a playful grin on his face.

"How about a little friendly competition?" he asked conspiringly. "Whoever bumps the most people wins; you can't do the same person twice in a row, though. And if _you_ get bumped, you minus a 'point' from your score. How does that sound?"

"I agree to the game. What does the winner get?" Videl asked instantly, placing the prize that Gohan had gotten her in her lap so that it wouldn't possibly get dirty from touching the seats.

"Bragging rights," Krillin answered smoothly. "And nothing much else at the top of my head."

"I'm in," Gohan said, agreeing to his friend's game. "But how will we know that we aren't lying to each other?"

"I'll keep a watch on all of you," Eighteen suggested, speaking for the first time since her family had met up with the couple. "I can keep a slight tally in my head so that I'll _know_ if one of you is lying."

"And I'll help Mommy, too!" Marron added eagerly, happily holding the steering wheel from her perch in her mother's lap.

"Well, it's settled!" Krillin grinned, his dark brown eyes gleaming with the prospect of a challenge. "Hope you youngsters brought your A-game on, I'm not gonna take it easy on ya! I'll have you know that I'm the _champion_ at Bumper Cars."

Before anyone could wittingly retort, however, the buzzer went off that signaled that the cars were now activated. As such, the three "competitors" in the game wasted no time in getting in the thick of things, while Eighteen and Marron looked on, keeping an eye on all three of them.

About three minutes into the game—the bumper car attraction was for about as long as ten minutes, which was rather nice—Gohan was the leader, having earned himself fifteen "points", only getting hit by Krillin once and hitting anyone else he managed to come across. Krillin was second, with thirteen points himself, having gotten hit my Gohan numerous times, as well as by Videl twice. The girl, to her disgruntlement, was last, only one point behind Krillin, though.

"Damn it, Gohan!" Videl exclaimed as she got hit from behind again, turning around to see her boyfriend laughing from behind her as she mentally subtracted another point from her score; she now had eleven points only. "Come back here, you little bastard!"

Gohan quickly sped away from the furious woman, instead setting his sights on Krillin, who seemed to be in a little jam. The teenaged boy smirked as he pushed on the gas pedal harder (he had to control his strength considerably, though; he could break it without thinking, and _then_ where would they be? He was sure no one would exactly be happy to pay for a broken bumper car), accelerating as he set his sights on Krillin again. The human man's eyes widened slightly in fear, and hastily, he tried to break out of the roadblock that had been caused by some other idiots who didn't know how to play bumper cars and were trying to break apart.

The half-Saiyan teenager rammed his car into Krillin's mercilessly, laughing as the human cursed slightly, making sure not to use language that was _too_ foul so that his daughter's ears wouldn't be tainted with curses and that he wouldn't get a beating from his wife. He glared at Gohan spitefully as the young man smirked right back at him, quickly turning his car and getting ready to run into anyone else unfortunate enough to cross his path—

Right when Videl slammed her car into the side of his.

"Ha! Gotcha, sucker!" Videl shouted victoriously, knowing that she was now even with Krillin at this point. Gohan now had sixteen, one point deducted since she ran her car into his. Before he could react, she quickly sped away, making sure to hide herself behind many other cars so that Gohan couldn't get to her.

"Oh, I'll get you back, you just wait!" Gohan called over to his girlfriend, smirking as he detached himself from the mass of cars that Krillin was still stuck in. He began to follow Videl relentlessly, the female often casting glances over her shoulder to see that he was still following her.

"Give it up, Gohan, get someone else!" she yelled at him.

"Nah, I wanna get my revenge!" he teased back.

"Come _on_, cut me some slack!" she exclaimed in agitation, turning around to face him. It was a mistake, for the moment that she did so, she ran into someone else's car, stopping her suddenly. Point for her.

Which was quickly deducted the moment that Gohan's car made contact with hers too.

The competition between them continued like this—one of them getting revenge for the other hitting them, the cycle inevitably repeating itself. They were all having so much fun that they were disappointed when they realized that the cars were deactivated, that their game had finally ended.

"So, scores?" Krillin asked as they got out of the cars, Videl still holding her plush leopard in her arms. "In total, I got thirty-seven."

"Forty-one," Videl shot back smugly, hugging her stuffed animal closer to her chest, while Gohan grinned.

"Sixty-two," he replied proudly.

Krillin sent an annoyed look towards the two teenagers. "I can't believe that I got showed up in Bumper Cars by a couple of young 'uns," he muttered, putting in a fake accent. Marron giggled at her daddy's silliness while Eighteen smiled a bit, having watched the whole show while they played and seeing their reactions afterwards.

"Oh, come on, honey, it's not as if you didn't know the outcome was inevitable," Eighteen absentmindedly commented. "I mean, you _were_ going up against a half-alien teenager and a very determined young woman. _Never_ underestimate the power of the female gender."

Videl laughed at what the blonde Android had said, deciding that she definitely _did_ like the normally detached woman, much like she liked Bulma and Chi-Chi. She then looked down at her watch absentmindedly, and her eyes widened as she noticed that it was 1:27.

"Crap, Gohan, we're gonna be late for meeting Sharpener and Erasa if we don't hurry up," she told him. "It's already almost one-thirty."

"Oh, OK," Gohan said with a nod, before turning to Krillin and his little family. "Hey, Videl and I have to go now, we're meeting up with some friends for lunch. Maybe we'll see each other later, OK?"

"All right, kid," Krillin replied with a grin. "It was nice seeing ya here, by the way."

"Yeah, it was nice to run into you, too," Gohan replied truthfully, waving at them in goodbye. "Well, see you guys later, probably!"

"All right, kid; bye!" Krillin said in farewell.

"Bye-bye, Gohan and Videl!" Marron said happily. "See you later!"

The two teens grinned and said their farewells in return, before they began to go to the food court, walking at a brisk pace there. Gohan offered his hand to Videl, and she took it with a smile, their fingers interlacing completely naturally as they walked over to where their friends were probably waiting for them.

Sure enough, when they entered, they caught sight of their two blonde friends sitting next to each other in a booth that seated four. Erasa was currently wearing Sharpener's baseball cap, and the two were in an intense make-out session, Erasa's arms wrapped around Sharpener's neck as his fingers gripped her blonde hair. They were getting stares from a little boy of six years old that was two tables away from them, his green eyes wide as he watched them. The little boy's mother quickly pulled him away, covering his eyes as she sent a slight glare to the two teens who were completely oblivious to her irritation.

"Guys, you may wanna tone it down _just_ a bit—there's more people here than just you two," Videl spoke up, smirking slightly as she dropped the arm that was holding her leopard, so that it was slightly hidden from their view.

At the sound of her voice, both Erasa and Sharpener pulled away from each other reluctantly, Erasa sending a little pout her best friend's way. "Oh, Videl, you act as if you and Gohan don't do this all the time," she told them offhandedly.

"Well, honestly, we don't kiss so passionately in front of six-year-olds," Videl smirked, gesturing towards the mother and little boy. Upon seeing that they'd had an audience, Erasa blushed slightly, while Sharpener rolled his eyes, obviously not caring.

"Let's just go get something to eat now," he announced, standing up. "'Rase, you gonna stay here to hold our booth?"

"Sure," she replied, grinning at her boyfriend. "You already know what I want, right, Sharpie?"

The blonde boy nodded, before he went on the food line, and Gohan followed him instantly, his eyes scanning over the choices of what they could have for lunch, already having begun to salivate at the delicious smells of all the different foods that had wafted towards him. Videl smiled, shaking her head as she saw that slightly glassy-eyed look come into Gohan's eyes, the way that they glazed over when he was thinking about food.

"All right, Erasa, I'll go and get some lunch, too," she told her best friend. "I also should make sure that Gohan doesn't clean them out of everything that they have."

Erasa giggled. "Oh, I don't think Gohan eats _that_ much, Vi," she said offhandedly, thinking that her friend was simply exaggerating.

The black-haired girl decided not to comment, but she knew better. During lunch at school, Gohan ate very lightly, she had learned; Erasa hadn't seen a Saiyan male truly eating food. Videl truly knew what Gohan's insane appetite was like, and knew that she had to make sure that he took an adequate amount of food—not too little so that he'd be starving, but not too much either so that he'd get a bit sloppy with his eating habits either.

As the teens ate lunch, they amiably chatted about what they'd done so far. After the Ferris Wheel, Sharpener and Erasa had gone to the Fun House and also to the Haunted House. Sharpener said that the latter was very cheesy, but Erasa rolled her eyes and butted in that he had been pretty freaked out when the giant tarantula had snapped out of nowhere in front of them. This, of course, caused a light blush to coat the boy's cheeks as he denied her statement, but the rest of them knew the truth. They had also gone on a couple of roller coasters and did quite a few of the booth games, too.

"Look at what Sharpener won me," Erasa said proudly, showing them a rather large teddy bear that was green with aqua splotches on it and smelled lightly of peppermint. "It's so _cute_! He won it at one of those booths where you have to toss the ring on the peg."

"Well, Gohan won me _this_," Videl couldn't resist adding, showing the blonde girl the white plushy leopard proudly, bringing it in full view of the blondes. "He got it at the booth where you shoot the targets. Those things are _so_ hard to hit, they move so _fast_!"

"Oh, Videl, that's an _adorable_ prize!" Erasa gushed, before she winked at Gohan. "You really know how to pick the right prizes for girls, too, huh? Red is Vi's favorite color, and she loves leopards and all those other predators. Just like Sharpie knew that I liked the color green and that I _love_ the smell of mint and that I love teddy bears, too." At this, the blonde girl smiled affectionately at her boyfriend, pecking him lightly on the cheek. Sharpener smirked back at her in reply, draping his arm around her bare shoulders.

"Yep," he said smugly. "I know what types of gifts to get my girl."

Erasa laughed at him, lightly elbowing him once more. "Oh, tone down your ego a bit, sweetheart," she chastised him gently, pecking his nose for a quick second. "It might not be able to fit back in the car when we leave."

Sharpener rolled his eyes, opting not to reply.

After they had finished their lunch, the teens split up again, Erasa dragging Sharpener with her to the Bumper Cars while Videl and Gohan continued to absentmindedly walk around the large amusement park.

"Anything else you want to do for sure?" Videl asked the boy curiously.

"Not really," Gohan replied with a shrug. "Wherever you want to go, I guess."

Videl smiled. "Well, I _really_ wanna go on the carousel," she admitted with a small smile. At that, Gohan looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"The carousel? Really?" he repeated, just to make sure that he'd heard her right.

She slugged him lightly in the arm in response, and then regretted it as she shook her hand to lightly relieve it of the throbbing. "Yes, _really_," she shot back. "Can't a girl want to go on the carousel without being questioned about it?"

Gohan chuckled, shaking his head. "Of course, we'll go to the carousel," he easily agreed, before they began to head to the center of the park. Along their way, they came across an ice-cream cart. Upon seeing the way her boyfriend's eyes lingered upon the small white cart, Videl grinned and stopped to buy them two cones—a chocolate one for Gohan and a vanilla one for herself. After she paid for it, Gohan thanked her and gratefully ate the heavenly goodness that was chocolate ice cream, while she laughed at the expression on his face as he devoured the treat.

By the time they reached the carousel, Gohan had already finished his cone, but Videl hadn't even reached the cone yet with her ice cream. Deciding to take it with her on the ride, they got on line for the carousel, which was a bit longer than the other lines that they had to wait on; nevertheless, they were on rather quickly, and after quickly giving their tickets to the man behind the counter, they both chose a single horse to sit on, one that was preferably on the inside of the three rows of horses. They soon found a horse that was deemed adequate by both of them, and Videl climbed on first, bringing both of her legs around the horse so that they were both on the left side of it. Gohan sat behind her in the traditional way of sitting on a horse, his feet reaching the "stirrups" and his hands holding onto the bars on the sides of the horses head, making a slightly protective cage around Videl so that she wouldn't fall off.

The carousel began, the horse bobbing up and down as they went around in circles and music played. Videl smiled as she licked her cone, remembering the times when she was younger and had gone to amusement parks with her father, riding on the carousel with him. It was a reason why she wanted to go—it had always been a tradition that they rode the carousel at least _once_ when they went to an amusement park.

"Hey, Gohan, wanna finish my ice cream?" she asked, turning around to face the boy behind her. Eagerly, he nodded, and leaned forward slightly and licked it as she held it towards him with one arm, the other holding her stuffed animal, while she laughed at how silly he looked at the moment. His mouth was lightly stained around the lips with a bit of brown from his chocolate ice cream and now a bit of white from her vanilla, and he grinned a bit at her, chuckling. He looked so adorable in that moment that Videl couldn't help it but laugh, too, before she leaned in and lightly kissed him on the lips, tasting the mixed tastes of chocolate and vanilla residing on his lips. He returned her gesture gently, an innocent kiss shared between them.

Too soon, the carousel ride was over. After being told roughly that they weren't allowed to stay on the ride and that, if they wanted to ride again, they'd have to go on line once more, Gohan and Videl got off of the carousel. Videl gave him the last bits of her ice cream come, which he happily finished.

"So, where should we go next?" Videl asked, after wiping Gohan's slightly messy face with a napkin that she'd saved from when they'd eaten lunch with their blonde friends, somehow having known that it would come in handy. The half-Saiyan had complied when she told him she needed to clean his face, and had bent down a bit so that she'd be able to reach his mouth easily.

Gohan pondered the thought. "Well, there's the Fun House, and the Haunted House that Sharpener and Erasa went to," he suggested. "And there's—"

And then, suddenly, he stopped speaking, his eyes widening. Videl looked at him oddly, wondering why he'd suddenly cut himself off, inspecting him with a critical look in her blue eyes. Maybe he was having a flashback of a nightmare?

However, her hypothesis was wrong.

"Gohan…" Videl trailed off when she saw Gohan hold up one finger inquisitively, the universal sign of, 'please wait a sec'. She complied, wondering what was possibly going through his head at the moment.

There was no denying what he felt now, his eyes widening. Suddenly, two energy signatures had begun to come towards them. If he stretched his senses even further, he was able to sense turmoil behind the two powers that were heading their way.

They were heading straight for earth.

What was going on?

"Videl, something weird is going on," Gohan said lowly, leaning in close to her ear. "I'm not sure what it is, but I'm sensing two powers coming towards Earth. And something behind them feels…weird, like other power levels tainted with anger. I don't like how this is turning out…"

"So, we're gonna check it out?" Videl asked her boyfriend, and Gohan nodded seriously, his onyx eyes now solemn as he looked in the distance, probably where he was sensing the powers from, Videl guessed.

Gohan felt Krillin's power raise, along with a few of the other warriors—Piccolo, Vegeta, his father, Trunks, Goten. It was their unspoken signal that something was up, and that they all were going to check it out.

"Are you sure you wanna come, Videl? I'm not sure how this is gonna turn out," he said gravely, quietly in her ear as they began to walk towards the exit.

"Yes, Gohan, I'm sure," Videl replied, complete assurance in her voice. "I know what I'm doing. I'll have to tell Erasa that we might not be going to dinner, though."

Gohan nodded, and the two left the amusement park. His hand sought Videl's, and she entwined their fingers together gently, tightening her hold on her plushy leopard with her other arm. When they left the carnival and were a good distance away from most of the people, the two took to the air, Videl following Gohan's lead. She felt his grip on her hand get slightly tighter, and she squeezed back reassuringly.

And, as they continued to fly towards the odd powers that Gohan was sensing, the boy couldn't shake the sense of unease that had begun to stir deep within him. The last time that the Earth had been invaded by aliens had unleashed a turn of events that was completely irreversible. What was it this time? What could possibly be going on?

It couldn't be anything bad though, right? Majin Buu was the worst thing by far. Gohan was just over-thinking things, along with the rest of the warriors on the planet. They just wanted to make sure that nothing was wrong. It couldn't be worse than anything they'd gone through.

But, no matter how many times he told himself that, the eldest half-Saiyan was getting the sinking feeling that things would _not_ be fine in the least.

* * *

**See, I knew you guys would hate me. Didn't tell ya exactly _where_ the anger-energy is coming from, right? XD I'm terrible. Don't worry, though, you'll _kinda_ find out next chapter X3**

**The Goku/Chi-Chi fluff was a special gift for SierraLarson, who requested it from me. She's been an awesome reviewer and helped me with a few ideas in this story, so I wanted to thank her for that and thought that her request was the least I could do in return :D**

**So…whaddaya think? This was inspired by a little picture that I saw of Gohan and Videl at a carnival, which I found just amazingly adorable. And I had to use it as a date site. And, of course, everything is made funnier with Sharpener and Erasa around X3**

**Well, not much to say besides begging you not to kill me for not revealing _anything_ yet X3. Anyways, thank you all for reading this, and I hope you enjoyed it! And remember to please review! :D**


	13. Friends and Foes

**Well…we KINDA find out who the enemy is in this chapter, I'm sure you guys are happy about that X3 thank you all for your kind and considerate reviews for the last chapter! They really made my day, seeing some of your reactions was pretty funny, along with reactions for chapter 11 too X3**

**And one of you lovely reviewers guessed why Gohan was having nightmares...and for the most part, you are correct. Yes, Zuchiku, this is for you. Thank you for reading and reviewing, and, well, guess you're lucky, cuz I'm updating now! Didn't have to wait long for the update, huh? ;D**

**Not much else to say here I guess X3 so onto the story! :D**

**Disclaimer: …*crickets chirping***

* * *

Krillin soon caught up with the teenagers, his features set in a grim look as he began to fly alongside them, his eyes fixed on the spot where he was feeling the energy coming from. The seriousness on the faces of the two males made Videl slightly worried—at first, she'd been utterly confident in Gohan's strength to beat whatever was coming, but seeing the somber expressions on their faces made her second-guess her quickly-made belief. As she left a voicemail on Erasa's phone—she was probably having too much fun screaming her head off on a ride right now to hear her phone going off—stating that she and Gohan wouldn't be able to make it to dinner, she heard the two men talking. She closed the phone after she finished the message and listened, watching them.

"Where's Eighteen?" Gohan asked, sparing the former monk a glance.

"She's taking Marron home," Krillin answered. "She's probably going to stay with her there, too, just in case—Dende forbid—something _really_ bad happens and I'm not able to make it back. If we really need her, she'll know; she'll sense our energy spiking or fading away." Much to Videl's unease, there was no trace of joking within his tone, not one smidgen of the cheerfulness and slight mischief that seemed to be omnipresent in his voice.

"Why are you both so…tense?" Videl asked them, looking at them oddly. "I mean, honestly, whatever this is, it can't be any worse than Majin Buu, right?"

When she didn't gain a reply, the slight sickening feeling in her gut increased. Her boyfriend met her gaze; his onyx eyes were now deadly serious, not even a sign of a smile on his solemn features.

"Videl, we barely pulled through the Majin Buu incident," Gohan replied seriously. "And the people's memories of it still haven't been erased. Most of them are still extremely vulnerable after that incident; another catastrophe like that could have drastic effects on them."

"Also, from experience…we've learned that things from space are often not so good," Krillin added, sending a quick glance Videl's way before he reset his gaze to that fixed spot in the distance. "I mean, almost every time an alien came from space…something bad happened."

Gohan nodded grimly in agreement. "And you feel that weird energy behind those two, right?"

Krillin nodded as well. "It's another energy, all right…but it feels weird. Like it's…just pure destruction. And doesn't one of the first energies feel…I dunno, a bit _familiar_ to you?"

"Yeah, I thought so, too," Gohan agreed. "I thought it was just me, though."

After a few moments of tense silence, in which Videl's anxiety only grew, Gohan's dark eyes suddenly snapped forward once more, honing in on the familiar energies that he felt.

"They're waiting for us," he announced to no one in particular. If he squinted slightly, he was actually already able to make out the familiar figures in the distance, speeding up slightly and unconsciously in response. Krillin nodded in silent reply to his statement, no one speaking any more as they got closer to the rest of the group. There was no talking; tension filled the air, so thick that it seemed to be able to be cut with a knife.

Almost unconsciously, the hands of the young black-haired couple found each other's, fingers entwining. A silent sign of reassurance, of comfort, one that Gohan was very grateful for at the moment as he squeezed her hand lightly in return. She made eye-contact with him once more for a few brief seconds, her azure eyes meeting his onyx gaze, and she saw the slight anxiety in his eyes, and also the fire behind them that burned brightly and showed that he would do whatever it took to protect those he cared about. It was a silent promise that he'd keep her safe.

Not that she _needed_ protection, but…it was nice knowing that Gohan would protect her if things got ugly. Since he _was_ half super-freaking-powerful-alien and had the ability to catch bullets and skin tough enough that those exact same bullets would bounce harmlessly off his body if they made contact with him. It was always nice to know that he had her back, that he wouldn't let anything harm her while _he_ had anything to say about it.

They reached the group of other warriors, where they were all gathered around, waiting for…whatever it was that was coming. The moment that the three newcomers landed on the ground, a familiar little bundle of energy assaulted Gohan, jumping up to him and hugging him tightly.

Gohan chuckled lightly, his hand gently disconnecting with Videl's as he returned his little brother's embrace. "Hey there, squirt," he greeted calmly.

Goten pulled away from their hug, looking up at his big brother with slightly worried dark eyes. "Gohan, do you _feel_ that?" he asked in a hushed whisper, almost as if he was afraid that the odd energies would overhear him. "After the two normal-y ones…there's a weird one that's angry. Why? What is it?"

"I dunno, little bro," Gohan replied honestly, lightly ruffling the boy's black hair. "But whatever it is, I'm sure we'll be able to beat it."

Goten nodded, still seeming slightly nervous. He hopped out of Gohan's arms before going back over to their father, who turned to greet Gohan. His features were serious, but he managed a small grin at his eldest son, his black eyes still solemn as he returned his gaze back to the sky after that quick exchange with the half-Saiyan teen. It was no surprise that Goku and Goten were dressed in their orange _gi_'s like they normally were, actually prepared for the upcoming battle.

Just about everyone was here, Gohan noted as he looked around. Piccolo was standing in solitude, eyes closed in what was probably meditation, wearing his traditional turban and white cape, which was currently fluttering a bit in the light breeze. He only opened his eyes to exchange a serious glance with Gohan, nodding a bit in acknowledgement, before he closed his eyes once more, returning to his meditating.

A little ways from him was Vegeta, standing with his arms folded in their traditional posture against his chest. His hardened features stared pensively into the sky, his obsidian eyes serious. He was currently clad in his blue one-piece spandex suit along with his Saiyan armor, the set that Bulma had made for him. His strong jaw was clenched slightly, but his face betrayed no other emotion besides seriousness. Next to him was Trunks, and the young boy's expression matched his father's perfectly, except for the fact that his blue eyes also held the slightest glint of fear at the unknown. He was wearing the green _gi_ that he had worn for the Tournament, and had his hands clenched in fists at his sides as he, too, looked into the sky, awaiting the arrival of whatever was coming.

"You think anyone else is coming over to check out whatever this is?" Trunks asked quietly, looking over at the three newcomers for a second, before turning his gaze back to the beautifully blue sky.

"I doubt it," Gohan replied after a moment of thought. "Tien and Chiaotzu may or may not come, it depends. And Eighteen is taking care of Marron."

"What about Yamcha?" Krillin suggested.

At that point, Vegeta snorted pompously, turning his haughty black gaze towards the shorter man. "_That_ pathetic weakling?" he scoffed. "He'd sooner piss his pants than even _try_ to fight anything. Hell, the brat's female is stronger than he is; she'd probably put up more of a fight than that scar-faced moron." Bitterness was in his tone, showing how much he disliked the former bandit as he returned his glare back to the clouds.

Videl huffed, crossing her arms indignantly as she heard the way that she was being addressed, muttering under her breath that her name was _Videl_ and that she liked to be referred that way. However, she remembered what Gohan told her about Vegeta—do _not_ piss him off unless you have some death wish. He also told her about the prince's refusal to call anyone by their true name, only in very rare cases using their actual names and not the nicknames that he'd given all the people in the group of misfits.

"Hey, Dad," Trunks whispered after a few moments of silence, his eyes widening in slight realization as he lightly tugged on the eldest Saiyan's spandex pants. It was almost as if he was afraid that he'd be overheard by the two mysterious powers, just as Goten had been when he had spoken to Gohan in such hushed tones At this, Vegeta looked down at his son in silent acknowledgement, and the little lavender-haired boy continued with what he was saying.

"One of those first two powers…it feels a bit…like _you_," he said quietly. "Why?"

Gohan instinctively reached out to feel that oddly slightly familiar _ki_ signature in the distance, and instantly compared it with the slight one that was radiating off of Vegeta now as the prince concealed his power. It was true; _that_ was who it had been similar to. It was why one of them felt familiar; it felt like Vegeta. But…_how_? And why?

Vegeta shrugged, almost carelessly, but Gohan knew better, having been around the Saiyan prince for far too long. He saw the slight widening of the man's eyes, saw the barely-even-noticeable tensing of his muscles, the tighter clenching of his jaw as something must have hit him. What was it?

_Vegeta, do you have an idea of what it might be?_ Gohan sent, trying to make it inconspicuous. No one else had noticed the reaction of them man, and he was sure that Vegeta didn't want others to know that the words of his son had stuck a chord within him, something that seemed to surprise him.

In reply, Vegeta averted his gaze from the sky once more to glare daggers at Gohan, his teeth lightly bared in a snarl. _It's none of your damn business, brat, what I think. I just remembered something; it's none of your damned concern._ With that, he abruptly shut the communication between their rapport, the mental equivalent of slamming a door right in Gohan's face.

"Whatever it is…the first two don't feel too bad, right?" Goten piped up hopefully. "I mean, I think we're all a lot stronger than those two combined. But the weird ones after that…" He trailed off at that.

"We don't even know if the first two are OK," Trunks said to his best friend, turning to him. "For all we know, they know how to control their power levels, too, and are hiding their true ones from us."

Goten's face fell at that. "Oh," he said quietly.

"Enough chit-chat," Piccolo said abruptly, his eyes once again focusing on the sky. "They're here, whoever they are."

At those words, everyone's gazes whipped towards the fluffy clouds once more that seemed to be completely undisturbed. And if he squinted…Gohan was actually able to make out the faint outlines of two spherical shapes heading towards them at rapid speeds.

After a few moments of waiting on their part, the two spheres landed in front of the whole group. Slightly startled by the sudden collision of the objects, Goten lightly jumped and hid slightly behind his father's leg; Goku reassuringly patted the little boy on the head in return. However, most of them recognized the two objects, and weren't too startled—they were space pods, the same ones that the Saiyans had used when they came to Earth and when the Ginyu Force had come to Namek.

It seemed that they were all holding their breath, none of them making a noise as they stared intently at the pods. And both of the doors slowly opened.

What they revealed was a rather odd duo, each of them exiting from their own pod. One of the creatures was extremely short, and had a very large head compared to its body, skin a very, very pale pastel green color. Two black eyes, two small holes for what was probably a nose, and a mouth were all that were seen on the face, and the mouth was open in a slight smile. The figure was wearing a pink dress, which inclined everyone to think it was a female, along with gloves and boots at the ends of its thin arms and legs.

The other figure was drastically different. Humanoid, with lightly tanned skin and surprisingly familiar facial features, clad in a blue spandex suit and Saiyan armor, the shoulder pads a tan color. He was lightly muscular, and had a blue scouter over his left eye, his arms crossed against his chest. His short black hair was spiky, only a single piece of his bangs falling in front of his face, over his angular dark eyes. But the thing that was most prominent about this particular individual was the brown tail that had uncurled itself from around his waist.

"Gohan…" Videl whispered quietly, suddenly realizing that she hadn't spoken for quite a while. Hearing his name, Gohan slightly inclined his head downward towards her, showing that she was listening as he also kept his gaze pinned on the newcomers, watching them with a guarded expression.

"Is he…is he a Saiyan?" she asked softly, looking at the tail.

He nodded. "He has to be," he replied. "I have no idea about the other one, though."

A low growl suddenly emitted from Vegeta's throat, and Gohan looked at him to see that the man was glaring fiercely at the new Saiyan, distrust and slight…_disbelief?_...in his gaze. At the sound, the unknown Saiyan turned to face the stoic prince, and his features suddenly lit up in what Gohan guessed was recognition and realization.

"Vegeta? Is it truly you?" the newcomer asked quietly, his voice soft as he looked at the rather intimidating man with awe in his gaze.

At this, Vegeta growled lightly in reply. "Yes, it's me," he snapped back. "What the hell are you doing here, Tarble?"

Shock was probably the main emotion of everyone in the group as they all turned to Vegeta, hearing how he'd spoken, how he'd addressed the new Saiyan by a name. They had all seemed to have lost control of their vocal chords, simply watching the events unfold.

"How?" the new Saiyan asked, not answering Vegeta's question. "Reports were that you had died on Namek…"

Vegeta lightly bared his canines at him. "Well, I suppose that I'm a bit _stronger_ than you thought." He scoffed then, giving the Saiyan a disapproving look. "And you're still as pathetically weak as you were when you were born. I thought you would be killed when Father sent you to that outlying planet."

"I was fortunate; that planet that Father sent me to was peaceful," the newcomer replied with a small smile, turning towards the other alien who had come with him. It (she?) smiled in return.

"Vegeta," Piccolo stated abruptly, causing the stoic man to whip his head in the Namekian's direction, his dark eyes impatient. Piccolo didn't waste any time before asking him a direct, blunt question. "How do you know this person? I thought you said that the entire Saiyan race was extinct."

"He's the one exception to that statement, even though it's a rather pathetic one at that," Vegeta answered gruffly. "This is Tarble, who was sent off our planet when he was a young brat because of his pitiful strength. _I_ thought he was as good as dead." He paused for a second, and then continued, with slight reluctance, as he mumbled out, "He's also my younger brother."

_What_ _the_ _hell?_ That was the statement that seemed to be the only thing everyone else could think at that sudden piece of information. They all looked at the little Saiyan, Tarble, who smiled back at them a bit.

"Now that the matter is cleared up…why are you _here_, Tarble?" Vegeta repeated, looking at his younger brother (oh, Dende, he had a younger brother. Would wonders ever cease?) sternly.

At that, little Tarble's gaze darkened the slightest bit. "I came here seeking help, brother," he said quietly. "A terrible duo of two brothers, named Abo and Cado, has been chasing me for a while, for about five years, maybe more. We've been on the run ever since…and we've been seeking help, traveling from planet to planet in hopes of escaping them."

"Why are they chasing you?" Piccolo asked gruffly, having been the one to recover fastest from the information that Vegeta had a long-lost sibling.

"I…I don't know," Tarble replied truthfully, looking down to the ground. "They suddenly just started chasing us…they've actually fought us a few times, but they've held back and let me go free, though I don't understand why…"

"How strong are these guys?" Goku wanted to know, causing the rather small Saiyan to turn towards him.

"Well…I'm not exactly sure how _truly_ powerful they are," Tarble admitted. "I _knew_ that they were holding back when they fought me those few times. But the rumors are that they're much, _much_ stronger than Frieza, in his final form, too. They've been training for a long time."

"Do they have an allegiance with anyone?" Krillin wondered.

"I can't say that, either," the little Saiyan replied. "I truly don't know too much about them; what I _do_ know is that they are chasing us, but I have no idea what their motives are or why they actually let us go quite a few times in the past."

"How did you actually _find_ this planet? Were you looking for _me_? Or was it a stroke of random luck?" Vegeta demanded of his brother.

"I have been looking for a few strong powers that could possibly help me defeat these two beings," Tarble answered. "Recently, my scouter picked up massive power surges from this planet, and I figured that maybe those people would help me; it's by sheer luck that I found you here. Were you all the cause of those power surges, by any chance?"

"Probably," Gohan answered for the group. There had been many spiking powers—Majin Buu's, and his own, and most of the warriors as they fought against the pink blob and gave it their all.

"Could you help me?" Tarble asked quietly, looking down at the ground. "We've been chased for so long, and we just want it to stop. We don't even know _why_ they're so intent on following me, but they are. I don't know how close they are behind me, but I know that they are very close."

Suddenly, Vegeta let out another low growl. "And, without even _thinking_ about the other life on this planet, you just _led_ them here?" he hissed. "What if these two _don't_ land here, and they land in a densely populated area? The natives of this planet have completely laughable powers, save for a few exceptions. Their weapons are pathetically weak—they would never stand a chance against _anything_ from the outside."

Piccolo snickered. "Since when have _you_ cared about any other humans, Vegeta?" he taunted lightly. "What's the real reason for your…'concern'?"

Vegeta glared spitefully at him. "Just so you know, green bean, I enjoy not hearing a keening in my ears for weeks. Do you _know_ how _loudly_ that woman shrieks—when she's _pissed_?"

Beside him, Trunks winced slightly as he remembered. "Yeah," he piped up, turning towards Piccolo. "You know how loudly Mom screams at us when she's kinda frustrated with us. Multiply that by, like, a hundred, and _that's_ how loud she screams when she's _really_ angry with us. And if we let any humans die and we're able to save them…well, to put it lightly, our ears would probably begin bleeding, I'd be grounded for the rest of my life, and she'd make Dad sleep on the couch."

At that last comment, Goku let out a slight chuckle, causing the Saiyan prince's dark glare to shift to him. If looks could kill, the younger man would be very dead at the moment, but he couldn't wipe the grin off his face. Still rather pissed, Vegeta turned his piercing eyes back towards his younger brother, still waiting for a reply from the little Saiyan.

Tarble looked down at the ground, seeming slightly ashamed. "It…didn't particularly cross my mind that these inhabitants were weak, and that they couldn't properly defend themselves," he admitted.

"Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine, Vegeta," Goku said, ever the optimist as he smiled at his comrade. The eldest Saiyan bared his teeth at him in reply, while Goku simply shrugged it off, turning towards Tarble. "We'll fight these guys, and we'll get them before they're able to kill anyone, I know it."

"So…these brothers, Abo and Cado. They are the powers of destruction that are steadily getting nearer, correct?" Piccolo asked, fixing his gaze into the sky once more.

"I…well, I suppose so," Tarble replied, looking at the Namekian oddly. "Destruction, though? How are you even able to tell that they're coming without a scouter to read their power levels?"

"Well, we're able to sense energy by ourselves," Krillin spoke up. "Without scouters. It's really easy once you get the hang of it, it just takes a little practice. It's how we were able to tell you were coming, too."

Tarble seemed awed by that. "I had no idea such a thing was possible," he said, surprised. There was a few more moments of silence, before Tarble made eye-contact with everyone in the group. "Thank you all for agreeing to battle this menace for me…it means a lot to us."

It was then that the odd-looking creature behind him spoke, opening its tiny mouth. "Yes, thank you very, very much!" it said. The voice was rather high-pitched, making one believe that it was a female, but it was _very_ hard to tell if it was a girl or if it was a man who just happened to like the color pink and liked wearing dresses.

As the other unidentified alien spoke, everyone's heads whipped towards it. Their faces all read the same, silent question, but the one to voice their unanimous inquiry was Vegeta.

"Tarble…who—or _what_—the hell _is_ that?" Vegeta bluntly asked, pointing to the small creature behind him.

At this, Tarble smiled once more, his face bright. "Oh, I forgot to tell you!" he exclaimed, grabbing one of the alien's hands as he brought the unknown person to stand next to him. He smiled down at the creature, and she (it?) smiled back in reply, before he spoke once more, addressing everyone once more happily. "This is Gure; she's my wife."

Vegeta's eyes widened in shock, his gaze darting from each of the aliens, while the rest of the group tried to process the information. Even Piccolo's eyes had widened in shock and surprise. Krillin had sighed and shook his head, deciding not to ask anything because he'd been exposed to _far_ too much weirdness hanging around their little group of misfits. Goten and Trunks both exchanged very confused looks, the little lavender-haired boy trying to understand the fact that he had an estranged uncle and that _this_ creature was somehow his aunt. Goku just continued to look back and forth between the two, the Saiyan and the whatever-the-hell thing that his wife, Gure, was. Gohan, like Krillin, sighed and shook his head after a few moments of shock, deciding not to comment; Videl just honestly didn't know what to say, seeming to be unable to speak in shock.

"All things considered," Gohan muttered quietly in Videl's ear, "this information isn't all that weird."

She sent him an odd look, doubling back once more. "OK, then, what _does_ qualify as weird for you guys? Just so I know for sure," she whispered back, slight sarcasm in her tone.

"Well, for me, weird is…" He let out a slight sigh, shaking his head. "I can't tell you in the limited time we have. Those guys, Abo and Cado, are almost here, and I'd need a _lot_ of time to tell you exactly _everything_ in the story."

"I wasn't actually being serious…but, hey, if you'll actually tell me the story, that would be pretty cool," she admitted, smiling a bit. "I'd like to know _your_ idea of weird."

Gohan managed a small chuckle. "Well, right after we beat these guys, I promise I'll tell you all about it."

"Kid, I _hate_ to be the one to break up your sweet conversation," Piccolo interrupted (the smirk on his face and the tone with which he had spoken showed that he hadn't been sorry in the least), "but I think you might want to pay attention. They're here."

Right as he spoke, the two dots of the two new enemies' space pods began to come into view. Unlike the calm ones of Tarble and Gure, who had come in two perfectly straight lines, these two were spiraling around chaotically around each other. The feeling of pure destruction grew closer.

Maybe _they_ were that surge of anger that he'd felt before, Gohan mused. It would make sense…but he had learned not to believe thins too quickly in the past, and to get the full story before jumping to conclusions.

The warriors prepared themselves for battle unconsciously as the two pods drew closer and closer. Everyone raised their powers the _slightest_ bit, getting ready to fight. Trunks and Goten both sank into light battle stances, determination covering the slight fear that was in their eyes. Piccolo uncrossed his arms and clenched his fists; Vegeta still had his arms against his chest, but, once again, his muscles went taught, coiled, like he was an animal just waiting to pounce, to strike; Goku simply had his arms at his sides, yet he was also ready to fight, eyes turning serious once more. Videl also began to get into a fighting stance, even though she knew in the back of her mind that she wouldn't truly be able to do anything, if these guys were stronger than Frieza, who Gohan had told her about. On instinct, Gohan took a slightly protective stance in front of his girlfriend, shielding her partially, but not too much so that she felt that she was being undermined, that she was being deemed as weak.

"I won't be much help, will I?" she said quietly, more of a statement than a question to the young man slightly in front of her. "If _each_ of these guys are as strong as Frieza, and Frieza was out of my league…"

"Hey, don't say that," Gohan told her gently in reply. "I'm sure you would've held your own against Frieza for a decent amount of time." He was serious…partially. He thought that she'd be able to take on a first transformation, non-powered-up Frieza for a rather acceptable amount of time, considering that she was only a human…but a _full-power_ Frieza…and there were _two_ of them…

"We'll be fine," he opted to say, managing a smile at her. Then, his eyes darkened slightly. "But…if things get bad—which they shouldn't be, but _if_ they do—will you promise me that you'll leave as fast as you can? If you can, make the boys come with you—"

"Gohan, don't say that," she suddenly whispered harshly. "_Nothing_ bad is gonna happen. So don't even _think_ that it will. You guys defeated Frieza before, right? And you've gotten so many times stronger than that. Everything will be fine."

Gohan decided not to go on with the subject, and simply nodded, gently grasping her hand. She returned the gesture as she instinctively interlaced their fingers together, their gazes trained on the twin pods in the sky.

Unlike the impact of Tarble and Gure's pods, the pods of the two new enemies slammed right into the solid earth, almost drilling right through it from the force of their impact. Great clouds of dust and debris were brought up from the force of their hit, and there was dead silence for a few moments as everyone watched the pods with guarded eyes.

Then, the doors opened, revealing their new enemies. And if they hadn't heard that they were, apparently, each stronger than Frieza in his final form, they probably would have all burst out in laughter.

Both of them were fat, round like melons as they exited their pods. One of them was colored a deep-ish blue, a few shades darker than the sky, and the other was red and had oddly fat, pink/peach lips. The blue one had a single, small blue spike on his head, while the red one had two resting on top of his own skull; both of them wore purple scouters over their left eyes, their pointy left ears covered by them. They also wore the armor that had become characteristic of the Cold Empire over time, but was truly Saiyan armor, having been…"borrowed" by the tyrants for its unique design. Even though their appearance was rather ridiculous and laughable, they'd learned with past enemies that they could look ridiculous or weak but be extremely strong—like Frieza himself, or Majin Buu and Kid Buu.

The two newcomers looked at the assembled group. Their gazes immediately landed on Tarble and Gure—the tiny alien whimpered the slightest bit as she his behind her husband's leg, and the small Saiyan shielded her with his body instantly. However, their gazes quickly went away from him, and traveled to the others assembled there, namely settling on Vegeta and Goku and Gohan. They turned to look at each other, wearing identical smirks on their faces.

"Well, looks like we've been expected," the blue one commented, snickering slightly.

"At least we finally got the results we wanted," the red one returned, his gaze once again roving over the warriors, namely settling Vegeta and Goku. "Won't our lord be pleased?"

"I'm sure he will, now that we've found what we're looking for," the blue one chuckled back, smirking. "Thank you, Tarble, for your help."

At that, everyone's gazes instantly turned towards the little Saiyan, whose eyes were wide with shock. At Vegeta's low, distrustful growl at his younger brother, Tarble instantly spoke up, defending himself. "I-I don't know what they're talking about!" he stammered, his eyes wider as he looked at the two brothers, who were snickering to themselves.

"Oh, Tarble, you honestly didn't think that we were following _you_, did you?" the red one snickered. "Oh, that's _priceless_. Abo, you heard that? I suppose the lord was right about Saiyans and their thick-headedness."

The blue one—Abo—snickered some more. "It would seem to be that way, Cado," he replied.

"We weren't actually following _you_, Tarble," the red one, Cado, explained, somehow managing to cross his short little arms across his large, round body. "I mean, we _were_…but you weren't the object on our agenda."

"No, we had something much bigger in our sights," Abo continued. "Our lord had requested of us to bring back the last surviving Saiyans—for he knew that there were some that hadn't died along with planet Vegeta. There were _definitely_ more than you, Tarble, we knew that."

"We simply followed you, hoping that you would somehow find the Saiyans for us," Cado went on. "We figured that you would be looking for the last of your people, and we simply followed you wherever you went in hopes of finding them. And it seems that we've finally reached our true goal. Now, we can do as our lord requested, and completely dispose of the Saiyan monkeys for good."

Abo snickered, while Tarble's gaze looked horrified. "I…I didn't know that was why they were following me!" he said desperately to the group of people around him. "Honest! I had no idea they were looking for the last Saiyans…if I had…I'm sorry." He cast his eyes towards the ground in shame.

Abo laughed loudly—the sound was oddly distorted, hideous. "It _never_ crossed your mind that we weren't really chasing _you_?" he snickered. "Sure, we fought you…because we were _bored_. We could've killed you _so_ easily, but…it would make our job of finding the last remaining Saiyans _so_ _much_ harder. You've made our lives easier…we should be thanking you, really. How does it feel to know that you've brought upon the complete eradication of your own race?"

Cado also joined in the maniacal laughter at the look on Tarble's face, before he inspected the others, a smirk still lingering on his features. "Well…he's probably a Saiyan," he said, pointing towards Goku. "He looks like one of the Saiyans that had revolted against Frieza. Bardock, was his name?"

Abo nodded. "And those two, the little boy clinging to his leg and that young man back there, in front of the pretty girl," he added (at that, Videl huffed angrily and crossed her arms. She did _not_ want this creep calling her _pretty_). "They look like him. My guess is that they're Saiyan as well."

"And, if my memory serves me correctly…you're Prince Vegeta, aren't you?" Cado asked curiously, quickly bringing his eyes to Vegeta's. "But reports were that you died back during the whole skirmish on Namek."

The Saiyan prince bared his teeth at him in a fierce snarl, taking a slight step forward. This action served two purposes: the first was to show his aggression, to show that he was completely unafraid of this new enemy. The second reason was for the slight shielding of his son in protection; Trunks was now hidden partially behind his father's leg.

"And…oh, _no_. _The_ Prince Vegeta had a child?" Abo suddenly asked, taking notice of the small lavender-haired boy standing behind the eldest Saiyan prince. If there was any doubt at all that the little boy was related to him, it was erased the moment they looked at Trunks' expression. His facial features were an exact carbon copy's of his father, even though the coloring was completely different; however, the identical scowls that they wore cemented the fact that they were related.

"Yeah, I'm his kid; what's that to you?" Trunks snipped. "You have a _problem_ with me or something?"

Abo and Cado both snickered at the little boy, causing the lavender-haired prince's cheeks to flare slightly in his growing anger. "Insolent little brat," Cado commented. "I suppose it must be a trait from his father."

Another low growl escaped from Vegeta's clenched teeth, and Trunks glared fiercely at the two from behind his father's strong form. "All right, I've had _enough_ of all this bullshit," the man hissed. "We understand your point—to eradicate the Saiyan race. Which two bumbling buffoons like _you_ have no chance of doing, in case you haven't noticed."

The two brothers glared at Vegeta suddenly. "_What_ did you call us, you filthy monkey?" Abo demanded with a glare.

Vegeta snarled as he was called "filthy monkey"; Frieza had always called him that to spite him, and these fools had no right whatsoever to call him such a derogatory title. "I believe I called you two bumbling buffoons, if I'm not mistaken," he quirked back. "What? Now you have hearing problems as well, along with being unable to correctly gauge the strength of your own opponents and having to rely on those pathetic scouters?"

It was easy to tell that Vegeta was pissing them off. Goku—always the peacemaker—suddenly stepped forward, in an attempt to talk. "Look, Abo and Cado…this is a battle that you won't be able to win. I promise you that you will be able to leave this planet peacefully, without any of us trying to get you on the way out, if you leave and never mention this encounter to anyone."

Vegeta scoffed with an eye-roll. "Speak for yourself, Kakarot," he muttered. "I have no problem with killing these idiots, even if _you_ let them go."

Abo and Cado both laughed harshly once again. "As if you Saiyans can beat us," Cado said haughtily. "Even though one of you may have killed Frieza, we're both much stronger than a final-form, full-powered Frieza, _each_."

"Oh, _amazing_," Vegeta said dryly. "We surpassed Frieza's power long ago. Come back ten years in the past; then we would _probably_ be a _bit_ unprepared for you two."

They seemed to find the Saiyan's statement funny, and chuckled once more. Of course, this only served to piss Vegeta off even more, and his power spiked a bit more in his anger as he glared at the two. However, the two neglected to notice the sudden, tiny spike that their scouters had picked up.

"I think that's enough pleasantries," Abo snickered maliciously. "Time for the Saiyan scum to finally be cleansed from the universe, just as our lord wishes."

"Who is this 'lord' you keep on referring to?" Piccolo suddenly asked, butting into the conversation, watching the two round aliens skeptically with his own black eyes. "You constantly refer to him; who is he?"

"You think we would just _tell_ you that?" Cado laughed harshly. "He wishes to remain unknown. Also, our master has more important things to do than dirty his hands with the blood of a few insignificant monkeys, and has sent us to do that job for him."

Vegeta's hackles raised, his blue aura suddenly exploding around him. For a millisecond, the aura turned golden, his hair flashing blonde and his eyes turning turquoise for a mere moment, before he regained control of his anger once again, still snarling like an animal. "How _dare_ you refer to Saiyans that way, you fat tub of lard," he hissed venomously.

Cado obviously didn't seem to like this comment, and his face turned into a fierce scowl as he glared at the eldest prince. "Enough," he growled angrily. "Abo, I've had enough of their insolence. Have you had your fun interrogating them? Because I want to kill them _now_."

"Might as well," Abo smirked, nodding. Unlike his twin brother, he was the one that enjoyed speaking to his prey before they were killed. In a way, it was sort of funny to hear what they had to say before they were annihilated. Cado, however, simply had fun in the bloodthirsty part of the killing, not enjoying the mind games that Abo so enjoyed to play with their victims, and believed in the motto "kill first, ask questions later."

The moment Cado heard the words from his twin's mouth, his smirk turned sadistic. "I think I'll start with the impudent little brat," he said, almost conversationally, before he suddenly launched himself at the person who he had just mentioned—Trunks.

Instantly, the eight-year-old prince blocked the fierce barrage of punches and kicks that Cado suddenly sent his way, showing that he'd been ready for his attacks. However, it seemed that he'd underestimated the red alien's power—he let out a sharp hiss of pain as one of the punches hit him hard in the gut. Cado took this as a good sign that he was already wearing his opponent down, and smirked as he continued to punch and kick the little boy.

As Cado engaged Trunks in battle, Abo slowly allowed his eyes to roam over everyone else as he decided who his first victim would be, or if he should just annihilate them all on the spot. Then, would he give his opponent a slow, brutal, painful death? Or would he grant them a quick, still painful one, albeit in a disgusting way, such as through beheading, or through a ki blast? And then, who would he take next, if he didn't take them all at once? Would he even bother with the Namekian and the humans, or would he let them go if he felt so inclined? Oh, so many decisions…but so little time to actually make them.

"Well…I hope at least _one_ of you proves to be interesting," he finally said, once again checking his scouter, which showed that they all had rather pathetic power levels. He shook his head with a smirk, once again inspecting all of the tense warriors. He then shrugged, and without warning, lunged for Goten.

After a surprised yelp, having not expected to be the one attacked, Goten quickly regained his focus. Like his best friend, he began to parry the blue alien's attacks as quickly as he could, not using too much of his energy, lest he need to summon it later. Gohan looked like he wanted to intervene, taking an involuntary step forward towards his little brother; however, he caught his father's gaze, and Goku shook his head slightly at his son. It was Goten's battle, and he should only help him when he desperately needed the help.

Feeling a low, annoyed growl rumbling in his chest, Gohan simply closed his eyes and nodded. He didn't like the idea of just _watching_ Goten fight another enemy, not one bit. It was in his instinct to jump forward and protect him, to take the blows himself, to fight off the monster. But, then again, Goten seemed to be holding his own just fine…Gohan would wait and see. If things got too bad for his liking, then he would jump into the battle, no matter what his father said.

"Shouldn't you _help_ them?" Videl asked quietly, watching the two boys going head-to-head with the two villains, while the rest of the group looked on, watching it almost as if it was a damned T.V. show, detached and merely spectators to the scene, not in any way involved.

Gohan sighed, shaking his head. "Videl, I know what you're thinking. But Trunks and Goten are both extremely powerful, and I'm sure they can handle themselves," he murmured back. "But, if they need help, you can bet that I'll be one of the first ones to help them out. Even though I don't want them going against them, not since what happened with Majin Buu…but…" He shook his head once more, anxiously watching the fights with a slight sigh. "If _I_ think they need help, I'm helping, no matter what anyone else says. Even if they themselves don't want help."

Videl nodded, knowing that the reason that no one was helping probably had something to do with the fact that the kids were Saiyans. Gohan _had_ said that the Saiyans were a warrior race, so they probably wanted to fight the battle themselves, without help or interference.

"How can you even _follow_ the fight?" she suddenly asked, noticing how his eyes kept on darting back and forth between the two fights. She was barely able to see anything; only small flashes of color every now and then. Over to her right, there was occasionally a flash of lavender hair and red skin clashing as the two paused for a moment before they disappeared again; to her left, it was a blur of black and orange colliding with blue. Very rarely was she able to make out the actual movements that they were making.

"They're fighting at an extremely fast pace, and we're feeling their energy," he explained quietly. "And they're doing pretty well."

The other warriors could tell that the boys were slowly gaining the upper hand as well. The pace of the fight was slowing down, and it was because both Abo and Cado were tiring. Trunks and Goten, too, were growing a bit weaker, but they had plenty of reserves of power still to rely on.

Suddenly, the twin aliens stopped fighting simultaneously, drawing back from their single opponents. Both of them were panting slightly, shock written all over their features from their disbelief. Trunks and Goten both were panting slightly as well, taking a breather, exchanging a triumphant look. They both knew that they had done well, and even if they weren't powerful enough single-handedly, they could each become Super Saiyans, or fuse into Gotenks. They were sure that they had this in the bag, and grinned at each other.

"Huh," Cado muttered, looking at the boys closely. "Not bad for a couple of tykes."

"Can't say the same for you, you repugnant, repulsive wads of blubber," Trunks instantly sassed back, inadvertently using rather large vocabulary considering his age. Well, he _did_ have a genius for a mother and a rather eloquent prince (if he so wished to be) for a father, after all.

Upon hearing his son's snarky statement, Vegeta couldn't help but smirk in pride at the little prince. _That's_ _my_ _boy,_ he thought smugly, sending his smirk his son's way. Trunks saw his father's face, and smirked right back at him.

"You _imprudent_ _little_—" Abo cut himself off, glaring fiercely at the little boy. "You'll regret that. Greatly."

"But he's true," Goten piped up, being truthful. "I mean, we just went up against a _really_ strong bad guy, and I'm pretty sure that he was a _lot_ stronger than you guys are…so it's not like you two are too much of a challenge to us. And we've got lots of backup power, so…"

This was, clearly, the wrong thing to say, and the glares of Abo and Cado turned absolutely murderous. Unsure if he should step in, Gohan began to take yet another involuntary step towards his little brother, wanting to somehow take the receiving end of that glare, wanting to be the one hated, the one whose demise was being planned within their heads. He didn't want either Trunks or Goten to go through it, but he couldn't intervene. Not yet. Nothing had happened.

Abo and Cado exchanged glances. "We have to," Abo said curtly. Cado nodded in reply to whatever they had just decided…which no one had any freaking clue of.

The two took off their scouters, throwing them down on the pretty green grass, before standing back-to-back with each other. They then each took a step in the opposite direction, their hands going from straight to their sides to palms facing out. And then, they both shouted _"Merge!"_ at the same time, and just as suddenly as they said that, they were encompassed within a cloud of dust and surprising brightness. Everyone inadvertently shielded their eyes from the light, but, once the scenery became bearable once more, they all opened their eyes to a rather odd sight.

Neither Abo nor Cado was there anymore. They had been replaced by a huge giant, probably about nine to ten feet tall, colored purple. The body shape of this new person was still round, but significantly less drastic in appearance. Their armor had changes from a white base to a black base, and the arms were far more muscular than they had been before, with quite a few short, blunt spikes on the shoulder, and a thick ring of skin over the wrist, where thick fingers were curled into fists. The head was shaped like a pear, with the chin being extremely large and the top of the head being a bit smaller; on the chin of the purple creature, there were also numerous spikes, like the ones on its shoulders. There was a single long horn that was more like an antenna, but not in any way thin, on the top of his head. There was a pair of pointed ears, and a pair of fat, peach lips, and the sadistic grin that he wore revealed his sharper canines, his beady red eyes glaring at all of them with sadistic glee.

"_Now_ you're all in trouble," the new monster said, smirking at them all. His voice was very, very deep, and slightly grating. "Very rarely do Abo and Cado use this technique, but when they do…well, no one stands a chance."

"Oh, this is _great_," Krillin muttered under his breath peevishly, upon feeling the power that the new creature was giving off. It was rather high, all things considered, and he knew that he was definitely still holding back as well.

"So now what are you? Are you…Abocado?" Goku wondered curiously, laughing a bit at the word. At the pure conversational tone in his voice, Gohan looked at his father in shock, as did Goten. Who _cared_ what he was called now?

The newly fused version of Abo and Cado looked at Goku oddly as well. "You're a strange Saiyan," he muttered under his breath. "But Abocado is _not_ my name. My name is Aka."

"Hmph," Trunks muttered, analyzing his new opponent. "He seems a lot stronger…but that's nothing we can't handle, right, Goten?" he asked, turning towards his best friend, with a grin on his face. "I think that we can even beat them _without_ going Super or becoming Gotenks!"

"Yeah!" Goten agreed eagerly, a light smirk settling on his features, a thing that was rather rare for the little boy to do.

Aka chuckled, looking down at the boys. "You little tykes think you actually have a chance against me?" he asked, amused.

"More than a chance," Trunks replied confidently; the smirk that was on his already handsome features was an exact replica of his father's. "I am completely positive of the fact that we can kick your ass from here to next Tuesday."

Aka growled once more, his previously rather sadistically amused gaze now glaring at the little lavender-haired prince. "I have had just about _enough_ of your smart mouth, you little brat," he hissed.

"So what, you want me to be dumb like you?" Trunks quirked back. The wise-cracks that he was giving the enemy left no question as to who his parents were, much to the amusement of some of the warriors in the group. Krillin couldn't help but shake his head; the kid was only eight, and yet he had the smart mouth of both of his parents; the same went for Goku, who actually chuckled at the scene.

While Vegeta smirked at his son again, Aka growled furiously once more. "You must _really_ have a death wish, you puny little ingrate," he hissed. "But you won't be laughing for long." And, with that, he launched himself at the two little boys.

At first, it seemed that both Trunks and Goten would do fine; it was, after all, two against one, in all technicality. However, they had greatly misjudged the speed of the fused alien, and were unable to dodge as his hands suddenly shot out and grabbed both of them at the same time, his thick fingers clamping around the two boys' forms, purloining their arms to their sides. With them in his grasp, he just as quickly shot to the sky, laughing at their struggles to break free from his grasp, before he flew down to the ground and extended his fists, so that the boys landed straight in the earth.

Trunks and Goten both let out surprised cries of pain, struggling to break free from the monster's surprisingly strong grip. Aka continued to mercilessly ram them into the ground, dragging them along the earth so that they each created two small trenches from the impact. Once he finished mopping the floor with them, he lifted them out of the freshly made trenches, and threw them with great force at the closest mountain, where the two boys landed with a large _thud!_ Aka smirked triumphantly, and, as Trunks and Goten tried to get up again, struggling to recover from being thrown into the rock, he leapt forward and grabbed them both again in each of his hands.

And then, he began to squeeze them slowly with his hands, making sure that their arms remained unable to move in his fat fingers. His long fingernails that were almost like claws dug into their skin. The boys' grit their teeth, trying not to cry out in pain as they struggled. However, his grip on them only got tighter, refusing to let go; they each tried to gather their energy to make the ascension to Super Saiyan, but the agony that they were feeling was a detriment to that as they let out cries of agony as they were crushed, the air being squeezed out of them.

Hearing his little brother's screams, Gohan instinctively started forward, going to save his little brother. Seeing his face contorted in pain, in agony, caused something to twist deep within his gut. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to go save him, to take Goten's pain away, to be the person receiving it instead of his younger brother, and he started to move forward on impulse.

"Gohan, wait," Goku said sternly, looking at his eldest soon, seeing that the half-Saiyan teen was having a hard time controlling his anger. His body was poised to spring, his hair flashing blonde and eyes turning turquoise for a millisecond, and he turned his now black eyes towards his father, glaring. "Goten can take care of himself," Goku continued. "I know he—"

"_No_, you _don't_," Gohan suddenly snapped, whirling on his father. "You _don't_ know if he'll be OK, because you only _just_ met him a week ago. You don't _know_ him like I do. You don't _know_ what his favorite color is, what his favorite video game is; you _don't_ _know_ what he's scared of; you _don't_ _know_ _him_."

Hearing his son's furious tirade, Goku looked at the normally collected teen in shock. "Wh…Gohan, what's going on?" he asked, confused.

Gohan let out a snarl, sounding so animalistic that Videl backed up for a moment. His eyes were glazed with anger, Goten's screams only making it all the worse as his power spiked, his golden aura appearing around his form once more before it flickered away. The other people in the group awkwardly looked away from the exchange that was happening towards the father and son; Krillin pretended to be very interested in the scenery around him, while Piccolo simply closed his eyes, his sensitive ears picking up everything. Vegeta wasn't even really paying attention—his attention was focused on his son, who continued to scream as Aka continued to squeeze the life out of them, before dropping the boys on the floor.

However, Aka didn't give them time to catch their breath or even attempt to power up, and grabbed them again and flew into the sky. And rammed them into the ground again. Repeating the process. Not giving them a chance to even retaliate. Dark eyes watching his son in pain, Vegeta couldn't help but step forward almost instinctually. He promised himself that, if things got too bad for his taste, he would intervene. Feeling the odd emotion of anxiety welling up within him, he never took his eyes off of his son, getting himself ready to jump into the battle if need be.

Meanwhile, Gohan furiously seethed through his teeth. "Stop pretending that everything will be all right," Gohan growled out, furiously. "He's only _seven_. Right now, he should be at home, playing video games with Trunks. Not fighting for his _life_. You don't _know_ him. Because you weren't _there_!"

"Gohan, I…I don't understand," Goku said quietly. "Did I—"

"Just because Goten is a Saiyan, it _doesn't_ mean that he has to do this on his own. He never wanted to fight for his life, he just fights for the fun of it. Right now, he doesn't want to be on the receiving end of the pain; he wants _help_," Gohan hissed, his emotions from before boiling over. Things had been different when his father had returned, the night of his return to the world. There had been happiness, joy. Almost everything from before was pushed to the back of his head. But it all came back with surprising clarity; his father telling him to calm down as he saw Videl being tortured by Spopovich…and now, the way that he seemed so indifferent towards his own flesh and blood.

"You don't _get_ _it_," Gohan growled out. "He's probably wondering why his big brother or his daddy isn't helping him out because it hurts so much. If your plan is to make sure that he gets angry and his power explodes and he beats this guy, well, that's a sucky plan. Like when I was fighting Cell. They're both hurting too much to honestly care about using their power, they just want it to stop. They're only seven and eight, Dad, and they're in pain. And I'm going to help my little brother, no matter what you say. _You_ can not care about your own _son_, but I'm not just standing here while Goten gets hurt, and while I can possibly stop it."

And, with that final word, he, too, lunged for Aka, determined to stop his brother's pain.

Coming up behind the purple monstrosity, Gohan swiftly gave him a fierce chop on the neck. Aka let out a roar of pain in reaction, instinctively dropping Trunks and Goten, who he had once again picked up and begun to squeeze the life out of once more.

"Th…thanks, Gohan," Goten whispered hoarsely, still struggling for breath, managing to look up at his brother, who had moved protectively in front of the two boys. Gohan nodded at him in return, before glaring at Aka, who had recovered from the sudden attack.

"You…you little…" Aka began, still gasping from his pain as he glared right back at Gohan. "You infuriating pests…like insects, there's no end to you…"

"Oh, an insect, am I?" Gohan questioned, voice dark. Right after he spoke, he instantly socked the large alien in the stomach, causing Aka to let out a sudden wheeze as all the air whooshed out of his lungs. "Would an insect be able to do _that_ to you?"

"Insolent…little…Saiyan…scum," Aka gasped out, now enraged beyond belief, beginning to gather up a large ball of green energy in his hand as he gasped. Gohan got prepared to block it, the little boys behind him still regaining their breath. "You…you will regret thi—"

However, Aka's words were suddenly cut off and turned into an odd gurgling sound, as the beam of yellow light passed right through his body. Blood that was colored blue began to spurt from the middle of his body, and also from his mouth, coating his peach lips as he fell to the ground with a large crash.

Behind him stood Vegeta, wearing a bored look on his face, his palm still extended outwards in the position that it had been in when he fired the blast. He lowered his arm, looking bored, indifferently staring at the prone form on the ground that was gasping desperately for air.

"I was getting rather tired of his drivel about Saiyans," he simply said, shrugging.

"H-how…?" Aka gasped out, struggling to stay alive. "I…"

"Well, Saiyans are a _lot_ stronger than you thought," Vegeta offered, holding back his annoyance and anger under a dangerously detached mask. "Tch, we didn't even have to go Super Saiyan to defeat you. Pathetic."

"He…he will never forgive you…for this…" Aka coughed, glaring venomously at each of them. "Our lord…never…forgets _anything_…and always…holds on…to grudges…"

"He's got some issues, then," Krillin mumbled under his breath. "Seriously, that guy needs a new hobby other than holding on to eternal grudges." However, he made sure that he didn't speak loud enough to actually be _heard_ by Aka, mind you.

"We're absolutely _terrified_," Vegeta said to the dying alien sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"You _should_ be…he hates…the Saiyans…" Aka choked on his blue blood, but wore a slight smirk on his face. "He'll come here…personally…and then, he'll…extract his…revenge…"

And, with that, Aka's breaths stopped, eyes glazing over as his soul departed from his body. Abo and Cado were dead.

"Well, that's over," Vegeta said with a shrug, not caring about the hideous corpse that was now on the floor. Behind Gohan, Trunks and Goten had stood up again, and looked at Aka's body with contempt.

"I can't believe we couldn't beat him," Trunks muttered, furious at himself. "We let ourselves underestimate his power."

"As long as you never do that again with an enemy, then it's fine," Vegeta said gruffly, going over to his son and standing next to Gohan. "We were all slightly thrown off with that, because he wasn't showing nearly as much power as he managed to exert."

"I…I can't believe…how powerful…" Tarble trailed off, in shock at the whole battle, unable to fathom how much power that they had exerted before.

"You get used to it after a while," Krillin said offhandedly, before turning to the rest of the group. "So, what now? Do you think he was bluffing about the master thing?"

"I don't know," Piccolo spoke up. "There might be a legitimacy to it. We should keep on our guard, just in case."

"Sounds like a plan," Krillin said with a nod, before he called his farewells to the group and began to fly back to his wife and daughter. Piccolo, _ever_ the social butterfly, simply took off after exchanging a quick nod with his former pupil.

Trunks went up to his father, and Goten clung to Gohan's hand for a moment, before he went over to his father. Gohan avoided the man, still slightly pissed off at Goku, and went over to Videl instead.

"There's _never_ a dull moment with your group of friends, huh?" she asked quietly once he got in close enough proximity to her. At that, he managed a small grin and let out a chuckle as he shook his head.

"Nope," he agreed. "Never. Hey, you want me to take you home?"

Videl smiled. "I'd like that, thanks," she replied, entwining their fingers. Gohan looked down at their now joined hands with a smile on his face, before he gently kissed her forehead.

It was then, however, that it happened again.

Once more, a flash of pure, undulating _hatred_ was felt; the pure, raw emotion of anger, hatred fury, overwhelming and overpowering and undeterred for a quick millisecond, even more powerful than the one that Gohan had felt not too long ago. It was so overwhelming that Gohan had to struggle to maintain his composure in front of Videl, having felt like the air was knocked out of his lungs from the pure intensity of the emotion.

So…that angry energy _hadn't_ been Abo and Cado? Then…who was it? Could it be their master? Or was it a worse enemy?

Gohan exchanged a glance with Vegeta, whose dark eyes had instinctively gone over to the teenager. Trunks was saying goodbye to Goten before the little prince flew back home with his father and estranged relatives, and, as such, Trunks didn't see the small nod that Vegeta exchanged with Gohan. He'd felt it, too. They needed to be ready for whatever it was. They had no idea who, or what, it was coming from.

Gohan felt that one thing was for certain, though. There was probably something worse coming.

This was only the beginning.

* * *

**Whew! That took a while to write :D see, I told ya that you KINDA find out about the villain, but not completely. So yeah :D**

**Anyways, what'd ya think? And sorry for not updating in a while, it's just that schoolwork came and messed me up. I had a thousand million plus one projects to do, and so much homework, and tests to study for…the teachers wanna make up for the week we lost in Hurricane Sandy. Damn X( but oh well. I had a lot of free time on my hands today and, as such, wrote most of this chapter today (well, yesterday. It's like 2 in the morning now X3)**

**So, hope you guys liked the chapter! Thank you so much for reading, and please, please review!**


	14. Premonitions and Apologies

**2 chapters in 3 days? I'm spoiling you guys X3 Well, the reason I was able to get this out so quickly was because I was on the road for 6 hours, so I had half of this typed up when I posted last chapter :D no internet so I was unable to post the previous chapter earlier :D**

**And OHMIGOD. OHMIGOD OHMIGOD OHMIGOD. Guys, WE HIT THE 200 REVIEW MARK! :D you guys have no idea how amazingly ecstatic I am at that fact, thank you all SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much! :D I LOVE YOU ALL! :D**

**And guys…it's my birthday today (December 10)! I am officially 15 this day! :D YAY ME! And that's all I had to say about that. For a birthday present, would you guys mind dropping me some more of your absolutely lovely reviews? Cuz those put a huge-ass smile on my face :D**

**Anyways, you guys, ever heard the song Doomsday from Doctor Who? It's absolutely _lovely_, seriously :) and it kinda in a way inspired this a bit. Just a bit. It's inspired a lot of random snippets here and there in the story also :D**

**Anyways, enough with my rambling. Hope you enjoy the chapter! XD**

**Disclaimer: I love chocolate and I love ice cream. But I don't love chocolate ice cream, for some reason. And I don't own DBZ.**

* * *

_Darkness surrounded him._

_It was an unreal darkness, so thick, so cold…there was no end to the darkness, there was no light anywhere…_

_A voice was faintly calling out to him. Calling his name. So he wasn't alone in this eternal, chilling darkness? Someone else knew he was here, someone else was looking for him?_

_He ran towards the voice, the voice that grew slowly familiar as he got closer. How close was he? The darkness was limitless. He recognized the voice, and desperately ran towards its owner._

_There was a moment that he managed to see light, and he ran towards it. It morphed into a place with blue grass and green skies, a place where red blood littered the ground, scattered in drops all over the area. An unmarked grave that had been freshly dug was there as well, and he felt two vaguely familiar powers. Even so, he wasn't focused on that fact, and didn't bother identifying the two extremely powerful kis, and continued to run towards the voice. He tripped over a few dead bodies that were green—Namekians?—and sprinted, undeterred._

_Suddenly, brightness encased the scene, and he had run into an all-too-familiar place. An arena with white tiles and four pillars in a beautiful landscape, filled with trees and green grass. The Cell Games arena._

_And standing there was none other than Cell himself, smirking. In his final, super perfect form. Holding something—no, someone—in his grasp, dangerously close to breaking her neck. The person who'd been calling his name before._

_"Videl!" he called out, lurching forward on instinct._

_"Ah, ah, ah, Gohan," Cell suddenly chided, smirking. "One more step, and I snap this girl's pretty little neck."_

_That made him stop in his tracks, and Gohan suddenly glared venomously at Cell, halting his movements. Every muscle in his body screamed for him to go to her, but he knew that Cell wasn't bluffing. She was gasping, held in a chokehold by Cell, unable to break free from his strong hold. Her blue eyes were wide as she sent him panicked look, but he couldn't move. The only thing that he could do was try and reassure her with a smile, but it didn't work, not reaching his features._

_"Now, there's a good lad," Cell chuckled. "I'm glad that you've finally managed to learn some manners."_

_Gohan scowled fiercely at the hideous cockroach. "What do you want?" he hissed. "And…how are you _alive_? I…I killed you seven years ago!" he suddenly shouted, realizing what was so wrong about this whole situation. Cell was dead; Gohan had ended the bug's life by his own hands._

_"Did you really think that I wouldn't be able to find a way to escape from hell?" Cell shot back instantly. "Honestly, Gohan, I'm hurt. Did you truly doubt my power that much?"_

_"I don't care how you managed to escape; just what do you want?" Gohan growled out through gritted teeth._

_"I want you to apologize for what you did to me all those years ago," Cell replied, almost conversationally. "For killing me, for the utter humiliation…for everything you did to me, little boy."_

_"Fine," Gohan growled out. "I'm sorry. Now let her go."_

_"Oh, but Gohan, you have to mean it," Cell snickered. "And if you don't mean it…then, well, she dies."_

_His eyes snapped towards her in his fear for her safety. "I said to _let her go_!" he snarled out viciously._

_"And if I don't?" Cell challenged._

_"I'll kill you," Gohan replied instantly._

_"Hah! As if you have the guts."_

_"I _do_ have the guts. I killed you once before, didn't I?"_

_Cell's slight burst of good humor had left his face, and was replaced with a furious glare. "Unless you want her to die, slowly and painfully in front of your very eyes, I suggest you watch your tongue, you insolent brat," he hissed._

_"I'm just stating a fact," Gohan couldn't help but add with a shrug._

_Cell, infuriated, tightened his hold around Videl's neck; the human girl gasped at that in shock, her eyes widening as she tried to get air into her lungs. Her small hands scrabbled at his forearm vainly, her boy trying to wriggle out of his grip, but she was unable to do anything against his power._

_"Let me _go_!" she shrieked at the bug, blue eyes blazing with the fire that always resided within them, ignited whenever she was furious._

_"Shut it, girl, or else you'll die," Cell told her bluntly, his voice pure venom in her ear. She glared at him in reply, spitting almost in his direction but not quite, but Cell seemed to get the message. He seemed to find this antic rather amusing, though, and betrayed a chuckle, before he returned his gaze to Gohan, whose fists were clenched in fury._

_"You still haven't apologized sincerely," Cell told him. "I want a sincere apology from you. You have three tries, and you already used one. And _I'll_ decide if it's sincere enough."_

_Gohan let out an aggravated growl once more, before muttering out with as much sincerity as he could in his tone, "I'm sorry."_

_"Not true enough," Cell answered back, wearing a smirk on his face. "Last chance, boy."_

_"I'm sorry for all that I did to you, Cell," Gohan apologized, making his voice as authentic as possible. However, Cell simply smirked again at Gohan, and shook his head._

_"That wasn't enough either," he said. "Third strike, Gohan."_

_And, with that, he ruthlessly snapped Videl's neck._

_It seemed to happen in slow motion, agonizingly slow and yet unrealistically fast as well. The pure fear that had covered her features the moment that Cell's last sentence had left his mouth, her shock as she felt his hands on either side of her head as it was grabbed by his lightly clawed fingers. Her blue eyes went wide, and her eyes met Gohan's for a moment, which was when her neck had been snapped._

_With her last breath, she had mouthed his name. And then, she was falling, falling to the ground as he dropped her. Her blue eyes lost the fire in them, the spark of her life snuffed out forever within those beautiful sapphire orbs. Her limp form seemed to hit the ground slowly, so slowly, and he had only been able to stare at the scene in pure shock._

_It wasn't true. She wasn't dead. She couldn't be._

_But her energy was gone. Her blue eyes were glazed, lifeless, staring right at him. She was dead._

_Something began to prick at the corners of his eyes, and his vision suddenly became slightly blurry. It was hard to see certain things, but he was able to see Videl's dead body with surprising clarity. Never again would he be able to run his fingers through her short black hair. Never again would he be able to see her prettily pale cheeks flushed with either a blush or from physical exertion. Never again would he be able to hold her body close to his, shielding her small form with his considerably larger one. Never again would he be able to kiss her beautifully soft lips, to feel her answer his touch as she reciprocated the kiss with eagerness. Never again would he be able to look into her wonderfully, beautifully deep blue sapphire eyes; never again would he see the life in those beautiful, almost measureless depths, see the fire, the spark of spirit within her eyes. Never again would he be able to see her smile, the smile that completely lit up her features, made her eyes sparkle. Never again would he hear her voice, whispering calm, soothing words in his ear in comfort, or yelling at him in frustration, or simply talking to him, or hear her laughter as he told a joke._

_Never again._

_And it was then that he snapped._

_Gohan let out an inhuman scream of rage, the tears escaping his eyes now as he felt his power skyrocket. It continued upwards and upwards in a chaotic spiral, but he only noticed this in the back of his mind. His rage, his pain, was the dominant emotion. It was the only thing he was truly conscious of. He wasn't conscious of the fact that his hair had turned a shining golden color, or that his eyes had transformed into turquoise and that there was a golden aura surrounding him. He wasn't aware of the way that his hands were clenched into such tight fists that he drew blood from his palms. He didn't notice that the tears were streaming relentlessly down his face in torrents._

_He was only aware of one thing—that Videl was dead._

_His true love was dead._

_More screams came from his throat. The sounds that were escaping from his mouth were formed from true agony, seeming to be unable to be formed by a human being, by _any_ living creature, for that matter._

_And after the grief, came the hatred._

_Pure, venomous, undulating hatred for the creature who had done this. Who had killed Videl. Through his tears, his misty vision, Gohan glared fiercely at Cell, who was laughing at the teenager's reaction after the insect had killed his girlfriend._

_With a furious, crazed, anguished roar, Gohan lunged. He didn't see Cell clearly—the only thing he could see was Videl's body. He punched and kicked and punched and kicked and screamed and cursed furiously at Cell. And the monster simply smirked through the whole ordeal._

_Suddenly, though, Gohan felt something clasp around his neck, with such speed that he hadn't heard it coming. With a strangled gasp, he began to choke, struggling to breathe, his throat being crushed. He was suddenly able to see, and he realized that it wasn't Cell anymore—he was now fighting some faceless enemy, a faceless enemy with soulless red eyes that stared deep into his own. Gohan's own hatred was reflected within those terrifyingly blood-red depths._

_"You filthy Saiyans don't deserve to live," the new foe hissed. Its voice was dark, sinister, booming, lethal…it gave Gohan a shudder, a chill up his spine. The voice was laced with fury, hate, revulsion. It was Hatred, given a voice._

_Even so, Gohan's gaze flickered back to Videl's body. Her eyes were still open, glassy, empty, staring at him. This rekindled the fire that had slightly diminished in shock as he let out another furious roar and tried to hit the monster that was now holding him captive with its tail. However, he was just out of reach of this unknown enemy, and he couldn't breathe. Oh, god, he couldn't breathe, his throat was closing and his lungs so desperately wanted air, but he was unable to gulp in the much needed oxygen, his throat was too tight…_

_But he couldn't give up. He'd beat this phantom enemy, he had to._

_"Oh, Gohan, don't you understand?" the voice continued sadistically. "You _can't_ kill me. Revenge can never be defeated."_

_Gohan let out more unintelligible snarls; however, they were slowly becoming weaker and weaker as he struggled to simply get a breath into his lungs. His lips were turning slightly blue, his eyes beginning to roll back into his head as his vision began to turn fuzzy, his head felt like it was about to explode, he was being choked to death…_

_"And you know the worst thing, Gohan?" the voice whispered, almost gently, bringing the boy close enough so that he could speak into his ear. "The worst thing is that, no matter what you do, you can't save those you love. Not your father, or your mother, or your little brother, or your friends…or the girl. You couldn't even save her. You're always too weak; you're never strong enough to actually protect those you love, those you care about."_

_Gohan struggled as the appendage got tighter around his throat; he was now gargling on his own saliva and blood, which had begun to come from his throat as he coughed and allowed his mouth to open in a silent cry of pain. His Super Saiyan aura slowly diminished, hair reverting back to black, eyes turning obsidian once more as he lost his grip on the legendary transformation. He was too weak; he couldn't possibly hold it any more. His lungs desperately begged for air, but he was unable to supply himself with oxygen, oh, Kami, help him, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't breathe, he _needed to breathe_—_

_"You'll never be strong enough," the voice continued to hiss in his ear, and the dead body of Videl was suddenly in clear view within Gohan's mind once more. "No matter what, you can never save your friends or your family. Never. You can't even save the girl you love. Instead, do you know what you did?"_

_The demi-Saiyan's only reply was another strangled noise, unable to speak. Why wasn't he dead yet? He certainly _felt_ like he was dying, he was _going_ to die, there was no stopping it, and he'd failed them…_

_"_You're_ the one who killed her," the lethal voice told him quietly. At the flash of denial that had come onto the boy's struggling features for a moment, the monstrous voice continued, sounding smug, and yet still deathly quiet. "Yes, Gohan, you killed the girl you loved. You were too weak to save her, and you had the inability to simply _apologize_. If you had apologized, she wouldn't be dead right now."_

_Another strangled noise from Gohan's throat. The voice snickered darkly, before speaking once more._

_"How does it feel, Gohan, to know that, if you had done one little thing, that she'd be alive?" it asked, almost conversationally. "That you could have saved her life by doing one simple thing? That, by, not doing that one simple thing, that you caused her death? How guilty does that make you feel?"_

_He was dying, he knew it, he couldn't hold on any longer, and yet _why was he still alive_?_

_"You killed her, boy," the hateful voice whispered. "You killed her. You could've changed all that…but you didn't. And it's because of you that she's dead. It's all your fault, Gohan. You can never protect her, or anyone. Never. And there's nothing you can do to change that. You killed her. You killed the girl you loved."_

Violently, Gohan woke with a start, eyes snapping open to the darkness of his room. His breathing was in labored pants, his torso covered with perspiration, and for a fraction of a second he believed that he was still there, that the invisible enemy was hiding in the shadows—

It took him a moment to register that he was in his room. He cast a glance towards his side, where Goten was sleeping like a baby, probably exhausted from all the fighting that he had done earlier that day, during the fight with Abo and Cado.

It was OK. It hadn't happened. It was just a twisted nightmare. It hadn't made sense, he reasoned with himself, so it hadn't been real.

But the look on her face as she had died, the shock and utter hopelessness and pleading in her blue eyes before the life was suddenly taken out of them…

Gohan shook his head to clear it, telling himself that she was all right. He could feel her energy safe and sound in her own house, calm and peaceful in her sleep. She was just fine, her ki thrumming gently and reassuringly, like a small beacon of light to the boy.

Still breathing a bit hard, Gohan turned towards the clock, where he saw that it was twenty before two in the morning. Yet again, he shook his head, knowing he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep.

He never had nightmares like this, though, and it unnerved him. The nightmares were always about what had truly happened to him. Seeing Cell kill Android Sixteen, seeing his father give up his life for all of them, watching Frieza kill Dende and then Vegeta and then Krillin…things like that. They were _never_ twisted versions of his true fears.

It was unnerving, the intensity of that nightmare. It had a feel of foreboding to it, he believed…because that voice. Oh, Kami, that voice. It had been filled with such a pure _hatred_, pure _loathing_, that he had been momentarily shocked, hearing such a terrible and yet powerful emotion within the creature's voice.

And also, the fact that he'd seen Videl _die_ caused him to grow tense as well. He yet again reminded himself that she was all right, feeling her reassuring energy in the distance…but his mind was being irrational at the moment, and refused to believe it.

Against his better judgment, Gohan began to slowly get out of bed. Finding some clothes, he changed into a pair of jeans and a tank top, throwing a light sweater over that for good measure. Then, after he put on his sneakers, he went over to the window of their room, turning back for one moment to look at Goten's sleeping face. Seeing that the boy was fine, perfectly safe inside of the house as he breathed in and out gently, Gohan nodded, before he turned around and flew into the early morning.

The cool air felt good on his slightly hot skin, making him glad that he wore a sweater. It was rather chilly this early in the morning, and there was a slight mistiness in the air. His hair slightly dampened with the slight fog in the air, the moisture accumulating on his face and clothes lightly.

He had no idea where he was going, feeling like he was flying aimlessly. Trying to hammer out the terrible nightmare that had occurred, trying to forget it, not wanting to remember what his mind had come up with. He didn't want to hear the sickening _snap!_ of Videl's neck at Cell ended her life with one swift jerk. He didn't want to hear the voice, filled with unmatched loathing, sending chills up his spine. Didn't want to know that, because he was too damned weak, that he couldn't save anyone. No matter what he did, he wouldn't be able to.

He hadn't been able to save Goten yesterday from any pain. Aka had crushed him ruthlessly, and Gohan had simply stood as the little boy screamed in agony, as he had the life squeezed out of him. He hadn't been able to save his friends from Majin Buu, who had killed all of them with barely even any effort. He hadn't been able to save his father all those years ago during the Cell games (his anger at his father was still there, though, for not coming back, but it had slightly gone down in its venomous intensity). He hadn't been able to save those Namekians back on the old Namek as Frieza killed them all for their Dragon Ball. He hadn't been able to save Piccolo from being ruthlessly killed by Nappa. _He_ had been the one to cause their deaths, too weak to protect them, or them protecting him because he'd been too scared.

And he hated being too weak to protect them. He despised how he was unable to do so.

Gohan hadn't even realized that he'd flown here, but when he finally came to his senses, he realized that he had flown over to the Satan mansion, having instinctually followed Videl's gently thrumming energy. He was suddenly gripped with the need to see her—he needed to make sure that she wasn't dead, that her body wasn't cold and lifeless…

He flew up to the second floor, in the area where he felt her energy was located. He peeked in through the window, looking into her room, and his dark eyes, which had been filled with turmoil before, were now softened the slightest bit. Even though her room was dark, his strong eyesight was clearly able to see through the window.

She was sleeping peacefully, her eyes closed as she breathed in and out deeply, a small smile on her pale features, which seemed illuminated by the small streams of moonlight coming in through the window and gently hitting her face. She slept on her back, one of her arms flung out behind her and the other resting with the palm upturned near her face, near her slightly parted lips. She had seemed to kick off the sheet that she had been using to cover herself, and, surprisingly, she was wearing a nightgown. The lavender nightgown that she wore was sleeveless, and ended just a little ways above her knees. One of her legs was bent the slightest bit at the knee, the other completely straight out in front of her on the bed. A smile on her features, she let out a sigh as she unconsciously snuggled into her pillow once more.

Gohan couldn't help but smile a bit at how peaceful she looked. Unconsciously, he edged the slightest bit closer, and, as such, one of his knuckles accidentally rapped the glass. Letting out an grunt at the fact that he'd made a sound, he continued to watch her, thinking that she hadn't been woken up.

However, Gohan didn't know that Videl was a very light sleeper, especially in the early hours of the morning, for some reason. She'd wake up at the smallest of sounds in her room, and tonight was no exception. When she heard that faint noise, her eyes slowly blinked open as she woke up. Letting out a small sound, she looked at her ceiling, wondering why the hell she'd woken up, and instinctively looked over at her window.

She nearly fell right out of her bed when she saw Gohan hovering right there in front of her window, seeming slightly sheepish. Surprisingly, however, she didn't show her pure shock. After her heart had regained a normal, healthy pace, and her blood pressure wasn't bursting through the roof, she gave him an odd look. She climbed out of bed, getting a light periwinkle shawl to wrap around her shoulders, before she went over to the window and opened it up.

"Hey, Gohan," she greeted, still a bit sleepy and thoroughly confused. Stealing a quick glance at her alarm clock, she then turned back to him once more. "What bring you here at this ungodly hour in the morning?"

Gohan let out a slightly sheepish chuckle, already put more at ease upon hearing her voice. "I'm sorry, Videl," he told her quietly. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Letting out a sigh at his look, she couldn't help but grin faintly at him; his face was one that a child gave when they were caught doing something bad, but that they truly were sorry for what they had done. It was so adorable that she couldn't be mad at him even if she had been before. "It's fine," she replied absentmindedly with a small shrug. "Just wondering what you're doing up so…late? Early? I don't even know what this would be classified as, honestly."

He laughed a bit more at her slightly off train of thought; her mind was probably still fuzzy from sleep. "Well…I just wanted to see you," he told her.

Videl raised her eyebrow at him. "At two in the freaking morning?"

At this, Gohan's own onyx gaze seemed to darken the moment that she spoke those words. He had originally forgotten about his nightmare for a few blissful seconds, but her statement brought him back to reality as he remembered the terrifyingly crystal clear nightmare that he'd had, of her death…

She watched his eyes cloud over in a look that she was beginning to recognize. She'd seen it a few times before, and she was almost positive that this was the same scenario.

She didn't make any comment as his hand gently reached out and touched her face of its own accord. His slightly calloused palm gently rested on her cheek, caressing her soft skin; his obsidian eyes looked deep into her sparkling blue ones, and he allowed this image of her to replace the one that was in his dream. She was alive, he was now certain of it.

"Hey, you wanna come inside?" she offered quietly. Gohan nodded, taking his hand from her face as she backed up, allowing him to fly into the dark room that was lightly bathed in moonbeams, and he silently lowered himself to the ground. When his feet touched the floor and he closed the window, Videl went over to her night table and turned on the small lamp that was on it, to allow them to see better.

"Hey, Gohan, you OK?" she asked gently, going up to her boyfriend after she had turned on the gentle light. She placed her small hand on his broad chest, concern for his wellbeing shining in her gaze.

He let out a sigh, shaking his head, his arm wrapping itself around her waist. Silently, he buried his nose in her hair, drinking in the amazingly intoxicating scent that was _her_. She didn't comment, knowing that whatever had happened must have been major for him to be so shaken up. She bided her time, waiting until he was ready to tell her anything.

"I…" He trailed off as he once again shook his head, clearing his mind of the horrible images that he'd seen. "It was another nightmare," he confessed softly, taking in a deep breath to steady himself. He continuously reassured himself that she was fine, that she was right here in his arms and that she was safe, but it was hard to forget what his mind had conjured.

"Abo and Cado coming probably had something to do with it," Videl commented quietly against his chest, her cheek against the tank top that rested over his skin, feeling the steady thumping of his heart, the warmth that emanated from it. "That was crazy, by the way. Do you think…do you think that their lord or whatever is really something to worry about?"

"I don't know," Gohan replied honestly. "It could, or they could just have been bluffing."

"That was crazy, though," she continued, still in shock at what had happened earlier that day. "I mean…Kami, Vegeta has a _brother_. Who would've thought?"

Gohan had to let out a chuckle at that. "I never would have guessed," he agreed. "But he never told anyone about Tarble because Vegeta thought that he had been killed on the planet that he'd been sent to. It wasn't as if Vegeta had a lot of time to go looking for Tarble, either. He was kind of shocked at the fact that Tarble managed to survive because he was so weak, according to Saiyan standards." Talking about this was so much easier than talking about the truth, he realized.

"I _still_ can't believe that…that _thing_ was his _wife_," Videl muttered, shaking her head lightly at that and looking up at Gohan. "How could you guys have taken that so…so _calmly_? I mean, Vegeta's _brother_ is married to a…a…I don't even know what the hell she is!"

Gohan smirked down at her, shaking his head. "Trust me, Videl, we've seen really, really weird things in our lives. One of the many weird things that I've experiences is finding out that Vegeta and Bulma had somehow managed to have a kid together, and finding out that the boy who had come from the future to warn us about the Androids was the future version of their child. Another weird thing was finding out that a crazy stalker who had been following my dad had managed to get cells from him, along with Vegeta's and Frieza's and Piccolo's, and managed to create a creature with all the cells combined. That was the creation of Cell…"

Suddenly, his nightmare came back in vivid clarity, and he shook his head slightly to clear away the cobwebs of what was still clinging fiercely to his mind. Seeing that his mind was going back to the darkness, his eyes becoming troubled once more, Videl brought one of her hands up to gently caress his face.

"Wanna tell me what happened in the nightmare?" she asked softly.

He did, but at the same time, he didn't. He needed to get it off his chest…but he also feared that, if he said it, if he spoke it aloud, that it would come true. He knew that he needed to give her an answer, though, and decided that he'd tell her, and nodded silently in reply.

Seeing that she'd gotten an answer, Videl waited patiently for him to begin speaking, content with simply being in his arms as his other arm came around her waist as well, holding her gently. He took a few more deep breaths, before he began to speak.

"You were there," he began quietly, speaking so softly that she almost had to strain to hear his voice. "You were there…and…" He shook his head, the disturbing images coming back into his mind as he looked away. However, Videl reached up and gently touched his face so that he was now facing her, his ebony eyes troubled, turbulence within their seemingly endless depths.

"Just tell me, Gohan," she prompted softly, looking into his eyes with love and compassion shining within her own blue ones, which also still had worry for him. "Just tell me what happened, whatever you need and want to tell me. I'll listen."

He sighed once more, before he continued with his nightmare. He told her everything; how he'd been running through the blackness, how he'd come face-to-face with Cell, how he apparently hadn't _apologized_ sincerely enough, how Videl had _died_, and everything else…

After he was done, his body was lightly shaking, not with sobs, but with the immense guilt that swept over him as he held her closer to him. She silently listened through the whole account, not interrupting unless it was absolutely necessary. She had brought her hand up to his hair, reassuringly running her fingers through the black strands.

"It was just a dream, Gohan," she reassured him quietly. However, this caused his dark eyes to flash to her once more, the eyes that had seen far too much staring right into her own. It was hard to believe that cheery, almost-always-happy Gohan truly had this much turmoil within him, had always put up with chilling nightmares and flashbacks of his past. It was a side of him that very few people actually saw, Videl being one of those few people.

"How can you _say_ that, though?" Gohan replied, his voice slightly shaky as he spoke, struggling to keep it low as to not wake up anyone else in the house. "I…I can't help but feel that…that it might come true."

"Gohan, Cell's dead; you killed him, remember?" Videl explained patiently to him.

He shook his head fiercely. "I _know_ he's dead, but…I can't help but feel that there's something else coming, something worse than Abo and Cado…their master, possibly. I…I can't lose you, Videl."

"You're not going to lose me anytime soon," she told him quietly, continuing to run her fingers soothingly through his hair. "I promise you."

"You can't make promises like that," he hissed out with frustration, looking away. "Too many times have people said that, that I won't lose them. Piccolo told me grudgingly that he would always be there to protect me, before Nappa went and killed him; Krillin promised my mother that he'd take care of me while we went to Namek, and there he was killed by Frieza; and my father promised me that everything would be all right before the Cell Games, where he _died_." Pain flashed within his gaze as he remembered everything that he'd seen.

"How can I know that I won't lose you?" he whispered honestly. "I can't lose anyone else…"

Videl honestly had no idea what to say to that, and for the moment, opted for simply continuing to run her fingers through his black strands of hair. "Gohan…it was just a nightmare, I promise you," she tried to explain. "And I know that you're unnerved by it, but it's not gonna happen. I know it won't."

"I…the nightmares have been coming back more frequently," Gohan mumbled, not even staying exactly on topic as he gazed at some fixed point above her head. "I have a feeling that…they somehow serve as premonitions or something. Telling me when a new evil is coming even before I'm consciously aware of a different, malicious power level. Videl…I don't want them anymore."

His voice was almost defeated, exhausted, the slightest bit frightened. "I know you don't," she agreed. "I know. It's not fair, you deserve better considering everything you've done for the Earth. I know it's not fair, I know you don't want the nightmares. I know."

Gohan sighed after a few moments of silence, looking up at her. "Sorry to unload all of that on you," he apologized. "I didn't mean to."

"No, it's fine," Videl reassured him with a small smile. "I want to help out in any way that I can, Gohan."

"It's just…I had to see you," he told her gently. "The nightmare freaked me out, and I couldn't get the image of you dead out of my head. I just…needed to see you alive. For my own peace of mind."

"I'm right here," she told him gently, the hand that she wasn't running through his hair gently touching his cheek. "I'm alive. It's OK, it was only a dream."

He nodded slowly, and that seemed to be the ending of the conversation that he didn't want to continue. "Well, I'll be off," he told her. "Sorry I had to wake you up so early. I'll let you go back to sleep."

"…You don't have to go, you know," she said softly. This statement caused Gohan to turn back around and look at her—he had been heading towards the window, getting ready to open it once more. He stopped in his tracks when she spoke, however, and looked at her with surprise.

"If you want to, you can stay," she offered with a small smile. "It's not like you're gonna do anything bad, and Dad doesn't have to know."

"You…you'd let me stay here with you?" he asked, honestly surprised.

"Why not?" she replied with a grin. "Come on." With that, she discarded her shawl, throwing it over the nearest chair, before beckoning for Gohan to come with her in the bed. Without waiting to see what he did, she went in the bed herself, lying on her right side with her back facing him.

A few moments later, she heard rustling sounds, like someone getting dressed. Then, she heard the light creaking of springs, and felt Gohan's warm body behind her, a strong arm gently wrapping around her waist and drawing her close into his muscular frame. She smiled, closing her eyes as she pulled the sheet over them both in an attempt to keep them warm in the chilly hours of the morning (October was a weird month. Pretty warm during the day, and then extremely chilly in the early hours of the morning and late night hours. Odd.)

"See?" she asked him, turning around in his arms for a moment so that his hand now rested over the small of her back. "Isn't this better?"

He actually managed a chuckle, shaking his head lightly into her pillow. His onyx eyes, thankfully, had just about lost their odd gleam, and were as warm and gentle as they always are. "Yes, it is," he agreed.

Videl grinned, and gestured for Gohan to turn off the lamp. He complied, taking his arm off his waist as he reached over to his left, where her night table was as he turned off the small light, before he returned to his position. She smiled once more, snuggling temporarily into his warm, muscular chest, and his arm tightened around her on instinct.

"You know, if you ever need to see me at these weird hours, you can just come," she told him, grinning. "And don't feel bad. I like seeing you—I mean, we _are_ dating, after all."

"True," Gohan smirked lightly in reply, shaking his head once more at her antics.

"So, if you need me, just come," she went on. "I like snuggling with you, too." She punctuated this by cuddling into his warmth, realizing how very broad his frame was, how it nearly dwarfed her in size.

Gohan laughed at that. "All right, I'll remember that," he told her with a grin, gently reaching down and kissing her forehead.

She smiled at him, and reached up and gently gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. He replied softly, gently, conveying his thanks that she understood him and had allowed him to unload his problems on her. It was soft, innocent, and their eyes shone with love for each other as they pulled away, gentle smiles on both of their faces.

Videl then turned around slowly in his arms, so that her back was now facing his perfectly muscular chest; his strong arm's hold tightened the slightest bit on instinct, and she couldn't help but smile once more. "Let's get some shut-eye now, OK?" she suggested, closing her eyes.

"Good idea," Gohan agreed. With that last sentence from her boyfriend, Videl soon found it very easy to drift back off into sleep, her breathing regulating in a matter of a few minutes, perfectly calm in his arms. Gently, he brought his nose down to the crook of her neck, gently breathing in her wonderful, beautiful scent; his eyes soon closed, and he managed to fall asleep, too.

And he had no more nightmares the rest of the night.

* * *

"Gohan, can I talk to you for a minute?"

The half-Saiyan teenager turned from the little game of tag that he'd been playing with Trunks and Goten. The little lavender-haired prince had come over to their house that day, the day after their fight with Abo and Cado. While Bulma (and, grudgingly, Vegeta) showed Tarble and Gure about life on Earth, Bulma had decided that it would be best for Trunks not to come along. She already had to deal with a surly Saiyan prince; having a hyperactive little eight-year-old devil would only make things worse. She'd asked Chi-Chi if Trunks could come over, and of course, the black-haired woman had agreed that it was fine for him to come over.

After the boys had played some video games, one of them had suggested that they play tag outside. Of course, for tag to actually be fun, the game required, at minimum, three players; this was how Gohan got roped into playing with the boys, and he didn't mind one bit. He'd been having fun, only having been _It_ twice; it was the third time that he was _It_ that he'd been called over by the familiar voice belonging to his father.

Gohan looked at Goku for a moment, before he nodded. There was a slight stiffness to his movements as he quickly dismissed himself from the game of tag, and he went over to his father, who beckoned him to come a little father out.

They went a bit into the forest near their home, still able to hear the happy cries of Goten and Trunks as they played together, but far enough so that they couldn't hear exactly what they were saying or hear whenever they were talking with normal voices.

Goku stopped walking; Gohan followed suit, not saying a word. Goku then turned and looked at his son for a few moments, feeling lost, while Gohan deliberately looked somewhere else.

"Gohan…I'm sorry," Goku finally said.

"For what?" Gohan wanted to know. "What, exactly, do you have to be sorry for?"

Goku sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry that I didn't help Goten out sooner; I didn't think that he'd be thinking that way. I thought that he'd be fine on his own."

"And that's where you're wrong," Gohan snapped. "You don't know him, so stop pretending that you do. You _aren't_ exactly the best judge of how a person is feeling all the time."

"I know, Gohan, and I'm sorry," Goku continued. "I'm sorry for not taking into consideration how _he'd_ feel in the situation; I was thinking about how _I_ would have felt in that situation."

"Yeah, well, Goten's a seven-year-old, and only _half_ Saiyan," Gohan replied, a light tone of sarcasm in his tone. "So I'm pretty damn well sure that a seven-year-old half-Saiyan would have a different feeling of getting beaten up than a pure-blooded thirty-odd Saiyan."

"I wasn't thinking straight," Goku agreed. "I'm sure that if I spend more time around Goten, I'll learn more things about him."

Silence.

Then: "Why didn't you come back, Dad?"

Gohan's voice was quiet, hurt. He looked up at his father, sorrow in his eyes; Goku sighed and shook his head once more.

"Gohan, you know why I left," he replied. "I honestly thought that I was the magnet for trouble in the universe, and that I brought all the bad guys here. It sure seemed that way to me for a while; Raditz was after me, Vegeta and Nappa were after me, Gero was after me, the Androids were after me…it seemed that trouble followed me everywhere. I didn't _want_ to leave, but I thought that you all would be safer without me."

"Did you consider the effects that it would have on all of us?" the teenager replied scathingly. "Did you see Mom's face when _I_ was the one who told her that you were dead, that you weren't coming back? Did you hear her cries, did you see her tears? Did you know that she sometimes cried herself to sleep, missing you so terribly and wishing that you were there to help raise your second child? Did you see Mom's reaction when she found out that she was pregnant, not too long after you freaking _died_ and decided _not_ _to_ _come_ _back_? Did you have to hear Goten ask where Daddy was, and why wasn't he here? Did you have to tell him that yes, we could have brought Daddy back with the Dragon Balls, but that he didn't _want_ to be wished back? Do you understand _anything_ that you _missed_ in our lives?"

Goku was stunned into silence at his son's reaction. "G…Gohan, I…" He trailed off once more, truly at a loss for words. "No, I did not see any of that, and I never knew that's what happened."

"Well, it _did_ happen," Gohan hissed venomously. "And _you_ _weren't_ _there_ when we needed you most. _I_ was the man of the house; _I_ was the one who took care of Mom when she was sick, did the chores when she was too tired taking care of Goten. _I_ was the one who helped raise my little brother. Did you not _want_ to experience any of that? Did you just not _want_ to come back to us?"

"I _did_ want to come back to you!" Goku said, his facial expression slightly hurt at the accusations that were thrown his way. "But I thought that my being there would only make things _worse_! I didn't…I didn't know that was how you all reacted."

Gohan took a shaky breath to control himself; his emotions were getting the better of him, and he knew that he had to control it, lest he call a false alarm for the other fighters (when one raised their energy to a certain extent, it meant that there was something troubling going on that they wanted to alert the others about). "We needed you then, Dad," he finally whispered, looking away. "We all missed you so much…"

"I…I'm so sorry, Gohan. I regret it," Goku said softly. "I've regretted it ever since I've come back. Your mother told me some things…and I know that what I did was stupid. I should've come back, for all of you."

Gohan looked up at his father, making eye-contact with him directly. "Are you…are you being sincere?" he asked hesitantly.

Goku nodded gravely. "I am so sorry for not coming back. I'm sorry for not being there for you and your mother, and for not staying so that I could know my second son. I…can you ever forgive me?"

Hearing those words from his father, Gohan knew that he couldn't _not_ forgive him. How could one not accept such a soft-spoken, truthful confession. Gohan had listened in his father's voice; there was true regret in there, the true wish that he could do it all over again and rectify his mistake.

"Yes," Gohan whispered, his voice shaking the slightest bit, eyes stinging the tiniest bit with tears. "Yes, I can forgive you, Dad. I'll never stop loving you, Dad, I _can't_ not love you; you're my father."

"And I'll never stop loving you, your mother, or Goten," Goku replied gently. "I promise. I will _never_ leave you again."

Gohan nodded stiffly once more, struggling to maintain control of his emotions. But these sudden confessions from his father…they made everything so very different. Goku _did_ really care about them, it was just that he was an idiot at times. The sincerity in his father's voice couldn't possibly be faked; Goku loved them all.

"C'mere, Gohan," Goku said quietly, opening his arms in an inviting gesture. Gohan took the three steps that it took to reach his father and returned his embrace tightly, hugging him, never wanting to let go. He blinked back his tears, feeling Goku patting his back slightly as the two embraced.

"It's OK, I'm not leaving anytime soon," Goku reassured him quietly. "I promise. I'm staying here."

They simply stood like that for a while: father and son, locked in a gentle, meaningful embrace. Soon, though, they parted, and Goku gave Gohan a bright smile.

"Say, why don't we go back and play some tag with the boys? I believe that I interrupted your game; mind if I join?" Goku asked, grinning.

Gohan laughed at that, a weight seeming to have been lifted off of his shoulders. "I don't have a problem with you joining us," he said, happy that his father now wanted to spend time with them.

"Well, then, what are we waiting for?" Goku exclaimed. "Let's go inform the boys that they have a new player in the game!"

The young man laughed, and the two males then began to walk back to their home. As they got closer, they were able to hear Trunks and Goten's words once more, and able to hear Chi-Chi scolding them, telling them not to break the area around the house with their Super Saiyan power.

Gohan felt lighter than he had in years; he knew that his father loved him. Their relationship had seemed to begun anew, with a certain understanding of each other, better than it had been before. It was good, Gohan believed, that his family reunited, that they stood close. They would need it, with the new enemy on the possible horizon. Families would need to be strong to face off against this new threat, and Gohan's family was steadily getting stronger, repairing the frays and fractures that had been created in it.

And Gohan believed that families would _need_ to stay strong and united against this new possible foe…and that his family had finally taken a step in the right direction.

* * *

**This is a _little_ shorter than most of my chapters, but, hey, what the hell! Nobody notices (I think X3) unless I tell you; I wanted to get this chapter out to you guys as soon as I could. And I think I have a problem with Saiyans and nightmares. I'm terrible X3 and I also wanted cute little Gohan/Goku bonding after I did what I did last chapter X3 I am a terrible person. I know X3**

**Anyways, I wanted it to end here. I'm gonna have so much fun with next chapter X3 time skip, guys, and we'll fast-forward to Christmas. YAY CHRISTMASSSSS! PRESENTS AND CHRISTMAS TREES AND COOKIES AND FOOD AND PRETTY LIGHTS AND MISTLETOE! :D I'm gonna have a lot of fun with it, and hey, it might come out Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day, if I can. But then again, the next chapter is just in theory at the moment. You'll see what I'm gonna do soon X3**

**I wonder how many of you guys actually read these author's note/thingamajiggers that I put at the ends of the chapters and at the beginnings as well. I know Chosen To Die does (thanks for thinking my Disclaimers were funny. I tried X3 and thanks for finding these things entertaining as well) :D**

**Yet again, IT'S MAH BERFDAY TODAY! :D (12/10). And as a birthday gift, could you pretty please drop me a little review? Because that would make my birthday very, very, very, VERY great :D**

**So, thanks for reading, everyone! Hope you all enjoyed, and please review! :D**


	15. Christmas

**Awh, thank you all for such wonderful reviews, and for the birthday wishes! They mean a lot to me! :D**

**Well, as I promised…CHRISTMASSSSS! YAYYYYYYY! :D because it's that time of year again—well, Christmas is gone now, but who cares!? As long as it's still January, Christmas is still the season X3 Cuz Christmas is SO awesome. :D**

**I have a LOT more stuff written down at the bottom of the chapter, some of it kinda important—but I'll stop boring you to death with this A/N and torture you at the end X3 so yeah.**

**And without further ado, ENJOY THE CHAPTER! :D**

**Disclaimer: Fa la la la la, la la la **_**DIE**_**. (This was especially for my Abridged watchers/lovers. Best line of the movie X3 next to 'I raped Rudolph.' X3 and just about the whole movie. And Lord Slug. Don't even get me **_**started**_** on Lord Slug abridged X3.) Oh, and I still down own DBZ. So there.**

* * *

Time passed.

The days, which surely bled into weeks, which blurred into a couple of months, went by quickly, everyone still readjusting to life after Majin Buu, and then after Abo and Cado. Tarble and Gure stood at Capsule Corporation, where they were learning more about Earthlings and (maybe) learning about their long-lost and unknown family members as well. Often, the two newcomers from space visited the Sons as well, and often simply explored the planet together.

Goku's relationship with Gohan was improving. After that talk in the woods, when Gohan had finally unleashed all his anger and frustration at his father, things had taken a turn for the better when Goku promised he'd never leave again. Their family ties were improving, getting stronger. Goku was spending as much time as he could with his sons now, as well as with his wife; as such, they were becoming a better family, happier and more natural.

However, the nightmares were still haunting Gohan, and many nights he found himself awake in a cold, clammy sweat. The nightmares continued to be twisted visions of his, of one of his loved ones dying, being killed in front of his very eyes in a brutal way. One of them had featured a gruesome image of his little brother's head being ripped of his shoulders by Frieza, and another had been his mother being torn limb from limb by Aka, and another had been Cell ruthlessly pulling out Videl's heart and crushing the still faintly pulsing organ…

He found himself going to the Satan mansion in the early hours of the morning many times, when the nightmares were too gruesome and left him too shaken up to fall asleep again. Videl would always wake up at the slightest taps that he made against the window, and, surprisingly, she hadn't gotten angry at him for continuously visiting her house at insanely early hours in the morning. She always let him in with a small smile on her features, and let him talk about his nightmare if need be, before they would climb into her bed and share it. It was always on those nights that Gohan didn't have any more nightmares for the duration of the night, comforted by Videl's soothing presence.

Time passed, and suddenly, it was only a few days before Christmas.

The joy and happiness was practically able to be felt in the air as Christmas day got closer and closer. Everywhere one turned, there were either bright lights on people's houses and decorations on their lawns, or there were children playing outside in the snow from the light snowfalls that had come, or there were people buying their Christmas trees, or caroling along the streets. People were getting ready to leave and visit family members, Christmas trees were being decorated, even _more_ lights were being put up, and the gaiety was always there in the atmosphere.

On the last day of school before break, almost all the students were eagerly bouncing around in their chairs. The teachers had decided to be nice to them that day, and as such, most of their time was spent having fun and being given parties as the teachers handed out snacks and let the students do whatever they wanted. Of course, there was _always_ that _one_ teacher who _actually_ wanted to do some work, but that was a very bad idea, because most of the kids didn't pay attention to what their teacher said.

In Orange Star High School, the cases were no different. It was almost the end of the day, and the teacher had given all the kids some treats, before he simply leaned back in his chair and made sure that the kids didn't get _too_ rowdy as he did whatever he had to do on his computer. The teenagers were all eagerly chattering amongst themselves, munching on their treats, and quite a few of them had begun to sing Christmas carols.

"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!" Erasa sang along with the other kids who were all scattered around the room, randomly singing the carols. Upon seeing that her boyfriend was being a bit grumpy, she turned to him and poked him lightly. "Come on, Sharpie, sing some Christmas carols with me!"

"I _don't_ sing," Sharpener retorted gruffly, arms crossed against his built chest.

"Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh—come _on_, Sharpie, _please_?" Erasa pleaded, making slightly puppy-dog eyes at him, pouting her lip. Sharpener quickly averted his gaze.

"Do _not_ do that look," he muttered, knowing exactly what she was doing. When he looked back at her again, she was still doing the wide-eyed look (something that they had "affectionately" dubbed as her "Bambi-eyes"), and, after a few more moments, Sharpener let out an aggravated sigh, shaking his head, before he joined in on the next song that the class had decided to sing.

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la, la la la la," Sharpener grunted out, sounding like he would rather die than be saying the words in the most bored tone he could muster.

"Oh, sing it with a _little_ more life than that," the blonde girl prodded with a grin at her boyfriend.

"Hey, I did _something_," Sharpener said in his defense.

Beside the slightly bickering blonde couple, Gohan and Videl both laughed at their friends' antics. "It's hilarious to see how Erasa kind of has Sharpener wrapped around her little finger," Videl commented with a light snicker. "I don't think _anyone_ could make Sharpener do the things she makes him do at times."

Gohan chuckled as well, his hand holding Videl's under the table, like they usually did while they were in school. "It _is_ rather entertaining to watch," he agreed with a grin. Suddenly, he remembered what his mother told him. "Hey…what're you doing for Christmas?"

At this, Videl let out a slightly annoyed sigh, closing her eyes and resting her head on his shoulder. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, bringing his other hand to thread his fingers through hers under the table.

"My dad's been invited to a stupid party in honor of him 'defeating' Buu," Videl muttered in annoyance. "It's going to be _so_ boring, and there won't be any time for him to actually be with me. Most of the 'famous' people will be there—which means that I'll be surrounded by snobs and idiots. It spans from Christmas Eve, and then we're sleeping over in a hotel and staying for Christmas day."

"No wonder Bulma isn't going—it's _that_ type of party," Gohan said to himself. As Videl looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, confused, he decided to elaborate. "Bulma was invited to this party, I think, but she declined the invitation. She doesn't like hanging out with snobs, and said that she'd rather spend Christmas with our little group of misfits over those fancy people any day. She dislikes the press too, and doesn't want to be even _more_ exposed than she already is in the world."

"Yeah, I wouldn't wanna hang around them either, but my dad didn't decline, so I'm going with him," she replied with a slight sigh.

"Well…maybe you don't have to go," Gohan suggested quietly. A light blush began to cover his pale cheeks, barely there but still appearing on his skin as she looked up at him, silently asking him for an explanation. "Um…my mom suggested that you come over for Christmas. Like, you sleep over Christmas Eve and help us put the finishing touches on the Christmas tree, and stay for Christmas day. Bulma's also hosting a huge Christmas party at Capsule Corp. later in the day…so we were wondering if you'd like to do that."

After a few moments of pondering this, Videl sent a grin Gohan's way. "I really like that idea, actually—it's a hell of a lot better than going to that fancy dinner party at any rate. I'd just have to ask my dad about it."

Gohan grinned down at her, glad that she hadn't outright said that his idea was stupid. "But…don't you wanna spend Christmas with your dad?" he asked.

"Well, it's not like he'll have time for me at the party," Videl answered with a shrug. "_Everyone_ wants to talk to him, and he always talks with them. Usually, I don't talk to anyone since they're all adults and talk about things that I'm not interested in at all. So it wouldn't make a difference if I went to your house, really."

"Mom's gonna _love_ hearing this," Gohan stated with a chuckle. "So will Goten; he's really warmed up to you these past couple of weeks, he likes having a 'big sister'."

"I swear, Gohan, your little brother is absolutely adorable and so sweet, too," Videl informed him with a smile. "It must be a trait that runs in the family, huh?"

The demi-Saiyan smirked a bit at that, shaking his head. "If you say so," was his reply.

Videl smiled. "So modest," she teased lightly. "Anyway, I have a question about the party at Capsule Corp. Do I have to dress up all…fancy?" She made a face at that.

Gohan laughed. "No, you _don't_ have to dress up…'fancy'. Just…ya know, look nice. Not _fancy_, but nice."

"OK," she returned, seeming to like that idea much more than dressing up in a fancy outfit. Far too many times she had been forced to attend one of the many parties that her father had been invited too, and forced into a ridiculously fancy dress. Oh, how she _loathed_ fancy, uncomfortable dresses.

"We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas!" most of the class suddenly chorused, except for the few people who were too absorbed doing something else. Hell, even the teacher was joining in with their caroling. The sound was so loud and unexpected that Videl's head shot off of her boyfriend's shoulder, while Gohan actually winced at the assault that their voices had on his ears—most of them were off-key and many of the kids were tone-deaf, so they didn't even know how horribly they were singing.

Videl laughed a bit at her boyfriend's reaction to that, while he shot her a slightly dirty look in reply. "Yeah, _you_ find it funny," he lightly muttered under his breath with an eye-roll. "Try having Saiyan ears—it _hurts_."

"Oh, I'm sure you've been through worse than some off-key singing of a few fellow teenagers, tough guy," Videl teased with a light smirk. "I'm sure that not _everyone_ on your little group of misfits is an amazing singer either."

"True," Gohan relented, agreeing with her. "I've heard worse. I'm surprised I'm still alive after hearing Krillin singing."

"Krillin?" Videl repeated, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Yep, Krillin," he nodded seriously in reply. "His…_singing_ is more like screeching. It seriously grated against my eardrums. And it wasn't only me—Trunks and Goten were there also, along with Vegeta. The little boys didn't say anything as Krillin attempted to sing, but Vegeta literally screamed for someone to make it stop, and even added that he would rather take Bulma screeching at him for a week over five seconds of that torture, and _then_ he commented that he was only two seconds away from blasting Krillin into oblivion for making such an ungodly noise. Trunks said that Krillin might have killed all the animals in the vicinity, and that he had heard an animal make noises like that, but when he flipped it over it was dead."

Videl simply looked at him for a few moments, processing the information that he had just told her, before she shook her head. "You guys are insane," she finally muttered, shaking her head. "Man, I feel sorry for Krillin, having to put up with you assholes of Saiyans."

"Hey!" Gohan objected. "Not _all_ of us are assholes! And didn't you _just_ say that Goten and I are _sweet_?"

"At _times_ you guys are assholes—you guys are, sometimes, just so _blunt_," Videl informed him, snickering. "It's hilarious at times, actually."

"Yeah, and _you're_ not blunt?" Gohan shot back.

"…Touché," she admitted, grinning. "But you know you wouldn't have me any other way."

"Of course not," Gohan agreed with a light smirk. "It would be _boring_ if you were different. I love you just the way you are."

Hearing those words made her heart flutter slightly; she knew that she'd _never_ get tired of hearing him tell her that he loved her, even it if was something as offhanded as the way he'd just said it. "And I love you just the way you are, too, Gohan, Saiyan genetics and all," she said quietly in reply, truthfully.

He smiled down at her now, his slightly calloused and resting on her cheek as he bent his head down to kiss her forehead softly. "Thanks, Videl," he whispered gratefully, looking down into her amazing sapphire eyes. It meant a lot to him to hear her say that she loved him completely for who he was, that his Saiyan side didn't affect her at all in her decision for loving him. He squeezed her hand from under the table, knowing that she didn't like making a spectacle of themselves too much around their classmates.

Now, though, Videl didn't care. There were only about a half an hour until the school day ended, and it was Christmastime. As such, she reached up and kissed her boyfriend innocently, knowing that he wanted to do so before. She didn't care what the rest of the kids thought or saw at the moment, and wanted to enjoy the time she had with her boyfriend. He didn't hesitate to return the gentle kiss.

"Oh, you two are _so_ cute," Erasa suddenly gushed, causing the black-haired couple to suddenly pull away in shock, turning towards their blonde friend. A light crimson blush was beginning to form on their cheeks at what she'd said—only Erasa would say something like that. She giggled at the two, while Sharpener snickered along with his girlfriend at their antics.

"Hey, lovebirds, you should join in on the song that everyone's singing now," Sharpener smirked.

"On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…five golden rings! Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree!" the class, including Erasa, all sang as Sharpener spoke. After she finished the verse, Erasa flicked Sharpener's nose slightly, shaking her head at him.

"Don't tease them so much," she chided him. "And sing this with me! On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…"

"Six geese a-layin'," Sharpener muttered, but Erasa grinned, finding it enough as she continued with the list of things that her true love gave to her.

"They're our friends—and Erasa's my best friend," Videl told Gohan with a light shrug after their light mortification had ended. "What're you gonna do?"

Gohan sighed, shaking his head as well. "Guess there's nothing _to_ do," he admitted reluctantly, while the class had managed to reach "seven swans a-swimmin'." "But you really wanna come over to our house for Christmas?"

"Of course I do!" Videl smiled lightly. "And I can't wait for Bulma's party, either."

"Yeah, it's gonna be great," Gohan grinned. "Parties at Capsule Corp. are the best. We can all be ourselves there, and often there's storytelling and reminiscing between the original gang, and she puts on music and lets us play video games, and lots of other things. She _tries_ to organize games, but they don't always work out in the end. But they're always fun, and there's gonna be plenty of food; Bunny's cooking is the _best_…well, next to Mom's. _Nothing_ beats Mom's cooking."

"But aren't you guys having dinner at your respective homes before going there?" Videl asked, raising her eyebrow. "Why would there be so much food?"

"Videl, you _do_ realize that there will be two—no, _three_ full-blooded Saiyans there, since Tarble came, along with three half-Saiyans?" Gohan reminded her. "Bulma's learned from parties in the past that there can _never_ be 'too much' food at a party when you're bringing my father there. When Saiyans are in attendance, there's never such a thing as 'too much' food."

Videl snickered at that. "True, I can't believe it slipped my mind," she said with a smirk. "It's crazy how you all eat so much and yet are so freaking _muscular_—it's just unreal."

"Well, that's one of the good things about Saiyan genetics," Gohan replied with his own smirk, making her laugh. "I can't wait until Christmas, it's going to be great with you around. I hope you'll like your present."

At that, Videl looked at him excitedly, blue eyes suddenly alight. "What'd you get for me?" she asked eagerly.

"You think I'm going to tell?" was Gohan's nearly incredulous reply. "No way, I haven't told _anyone_ their Christmas gifts. You're all gonna find out Christmas morning."

"Oh, _please_ give me just _one_ little hint?" Videl asked, desperately wondering what she could have gotten for Christmas from her boyfriend. "I'll give _you_ a hint as to what I got _you_!"

"Nice try, Videl," he grinned in reply. "I'm not giving _anything_ away—it's a surprise."

Seeing that her boyfriend wouldn't be budged, Videl finally relented. "Fine," she said with a light eye-roll, while Gohan laughed at her reaction. However, she knew that the wait was going to be worth it. Even though she usually disliked surprises…

She always knew that Gohan's surprises were one of the few exceptions, and couldn't wait to see what he'd gotten her. She had no doubt that she'd love whatever he got her.

* * *

"Gohan, Videl, Gohan, Videl, wake up, wake up, wake up!" a chipper voice sounded, bouncing on the bed.

"Ugh…" Gohan unintelligibly muttered, not wanting to blink his eyes open. He lightly pulled the girl in his arms closer to him, burying his nose into her neck gently.

"Goten, sweetheart," Videl murmured, barely even awake, "give us five more minutes, OK?" She lifted her head for a moment to make eye-contact with her boyfriend's younger brother, before she placed it back on Gohan's muscular arm once more, using it as her "pillow".

"But it's _Christmas_!" the little boy replied dejectedly.

"And six in the morning, honey," Videl added with a yawn after a quick glance at the clock. "Why don't you go wake up your parents first? We'll get up after Mommy and Daddy do."

Goten's dark eyes brightened, a smile lighting his cherubic face. "Oh, right! I have to wake them up!" With that, he bounded out of the room, set on the quest of waking up his parents.

"Thanks for grabbing us a couple more minutes of rest," Gohan mumbled from behind her, burying his nose into her hair now as he breathed in her scent.

"No problem," she returned with a small smile, turning around so that she could see him. Taking in his appearance—eyes still half-lidded, spiky black hair mussed from his sleep, but a gentle smile on his face—she couldn't resist gently kissing his nose in a lightly teasing manner. This caused his smile to grow the slightest bit bigger as he moved his own lips down to meet hers in a gentle, chaste kiss.

After a few moments, they pulled away, Videl's blue eyes sparkling with mischief. "Now, remember, Gohan, don't get carried away," she lightly teased. "Or else my dad will do _terrible_ things to you."

Gohan couldn't resist a chuckle at that. "Don't worry, I wasn't planning on anything," he returned with a smirk.

It had taken a little time to convince Mr. Satan that absolutely _nothing_ would "go on" between his daughter and her boyfriend, but eventually, she was permitted to stay at the Sons for Christmas. She'd eagerly packed everything for Bulma's Christmas party and some extra clothes to wear just in case, said goodbye to her father, and then flew home with Gohan, who had been her "escort" that evening to his house.

When she reached his home, Chi-Chi had eagerly begun to speak to the girl after Goten nearly tackled her with a bone-crushing hug. After the raven-haired mother had managed to make sure that her hyperactive son wouldn't accidentally kill the young woman, she'd begun to have to quality "girl talk" with Videl (it was later revealed to Gohan that she was still asking Videl about the wedding, and continued with the fact that she wanted grandbabies).

Videl had then mostly helped Chi-Chi get the things prepared for the dinner that she was going to make for Christmas; her eyes had widened almost comically at how much food the older woman had gotten, but then she remembered that there were three males with Saiyan blood to feed at one table, and decided that it was reasonable.

After the ladies had finished with the preparations of the food, everyone decided to go outside and play in the snow for a bit—it had begun to snow _right_ before Videl had arrived with Gohan, meaning that they had all been cooped up inside of the house for a little while until the snow stopped falling. There was about two feet of snow—an adequate amount that was actually able to be _played_ in. Goku had gone outside with his sons, along with Videl, while Chi-Chi had opted to stay inside, making hot chocolate for them to have once they came back in.

Snowmen were built, snow angels had been made, and, obviously, snowball fights had ensued. They had all ganged up on Goku for the snowball fight, much to the amusement of the warrior. The times when Goku forgot that Videl was only human, though, and threw a snowball at frightening speed and velocity towards her, Gohan would always intervene, either taking the blow for her or pushing her quickly out of the way so that she wouldn't be harmed. The snowball fight had eventually escalated so much that they had to build snow forts to protect the snowballs that they would keep as ammunition, and had even begun to strategize ways to trap their opponent (opponent_s_, in Goku's case).

Three hours of pure fun in the snow (with only a break after the first hour for dinner) passed until everyone decided that it was time to head back inside the house. After they changed into warm, dry clothes, Chi-Chi had given them all hot chocolate to drink, and they all had decided to watch a movie together while they sipped the warm drinks and ate a batch of cookies that Chi-Chi had also made for them. Once the movie was done, Chi-Chi had encouraged Goten to go to bed so that Santa would be able to stop by their house that night, and this thought prompted the little boy to get ready for bed as quickly as he possibly could, right after he gave his mother the slightly sloppily wrapped presents that he had made for everyone so that she could put them under the tree.

Once Goten was asleep, Goku, Chi-Chi, Gohan, and Videl had all played Monopoly (Videl was the _best_ at that game. It was no wonder that she managed to win—_twice_). They managed to finish their second game around midnight, which was when Chi-Chi declared that it was time for lights out. She placed the presents under the tree (everyone had given their presents to Chi-Chi, because they knew that she wouldn't try to take a peek at them and would wait until Christmas morning). Everyone had then gotten ready for bed after saying their good-nights to the others. Obviously, Videl had stood in Gohan's room, since there really wasn't much room anywhere else for her to stay.

Now, Gohan continued to look at his girlfriend—her sapphire eyes that were only half-lidded, still drowsy, and her short black hair that was still slightly messy from sleep. "You're so beautiful," he couldn't help but say, caressing her cheek with his free hand, his other arm still being used as her pillow of sorts.

"You don't look too bad yourself, handsome," Videl said in reply, smirking at him. She kissed his lips once more, another chaste kiss; before it could even begin to evolve into a deeper kiss, a young boy's shouting suddenly stopped them as Goten suddenly ran into the room and began to jump on the bed once more.

"Come on, wake up, wake up! I got Mommy and Daddy up, come on, come on, Santa came, Santa came!" Goten eagerly told them. "Mommy says that we aren't opening presents before everyone's downstairs and after we all eat breakfast, so get up, get _up_!"

"OK, squirt, we're coming," Gohan finally agreed, beginning to sit up, prompting Videl to take her head off of his arm as she sat up as well. Satisfied with the results that he was gaining, Goten laughed happily, and dashed out of the room.

Eventually, the two teenagers managed to get out of bed, not changing out of their pajamas (Videl simply slipped on her bra under her nightgown, disappearing into the bathroom for a moment to do so). The pair then walked towards the kitchen, where laughter was heard, the happiness almost tangible in the cozy little household.

After breakfast was finished, all five of them went over to the cozy little living room, Goten nearly having to be restrained by his father in his eagerness to open the presents. He'd been told by his mother not to open the presents until she said so, but there were _so_ _many_ _gifts_, and it was _hard_ for the little boy to not instantly dash for the ones that had his name on them.

Eventually, Videl and the Sons were all situated, and Chi-Chi gave the OK to start handing out presents and opening them. Almost the instant that she gave permission, Goten flew to the bottom of the tree and dived for one of the larger presents that had its name on it, much to the others' amusement.

After the little boy quickly handed everyone else a present with their name on it and was a considerably large size as well (as was customary and polite, his mother had taught him), he couldn't wait any longer to open his large present from Santa, and tore into the wrapping. Everyone else opened their gifts at the same time, and the only sound that was heard for a few moments was the tearing of wrapping paper.

"_Yes!"_ Goten exclaimed happily as he looked at the present that he'd gotten, eyes wide with awe and pure joy as he looked at what was inside. "Santa got me _just_ what I wanted!" Happily, he showed the large red firetruck that he'd gotten for a gift, complete with a set of little people to put inside of the firetruck as well, along with a remote to control it. "Santa's the _best_!"

"He sure is," Chi-Chi agreed with a slight smile, glad that her little boy was happy with the gift. As she spoke, she finished unwrapping the gift from Videl (and Mr. Satan), and her eyes just about lit up as she saw what was inside. "Oh, Videl, honey, this is just _perfect_."

Videl laughed upon seeing Chi-Chi's reaction to the gift—the raven-haired woman was eagerly inspecting the beautiful set of new kitchenware that she'd been given, eyes bright. Videl had heard in tiny little snippets of their conversations that Chi-Chi had wanted new kitchenware for a while now, and decided that it would be a good Christmas present for the woman.

"I'm glad you like it, Chi," Videl replied, smiling. The more often she'd come over to Gohan's house, the more comfortable she'd gotten with his family, almost as if they were her own family as well. Chi-Chi was like the aunt that she'd never had at times, or an older sister in a way—Videl enjoyed the feeling.

"Hey, thanks a lot, Gohan!" Goku exclaimed as he opened his present from his oldest son, noticing that he'd been given a new set of _gi_'s (Dende only knew how many of those things he went through) that seemed to be made of a more durable material. Also, he'd been given specially designed weighted wristbands and a weighted top—with a click of a button, he was able to change the weight of it to whatever he wished. Of course, Gohan had asked Bulma to design the specifics, but he'd actually managed to do some of the designing himself, which made him proud.

"Glad you like it, Dad," he said, as he opened his present from Goten—a homemade picture frame. The picture frame was scattered with tiny replicas of the Dragon Balls, all seven of them, and various other items that held meaning to the Son family. Somehow, Goten had managed to craft Shenron—a little sloppily, but he still had managed to make the dragon, along with a belt in a corner. Gohan saw that he'd made Piccolo's turban and cape as well, in another corner. There were a few fish scattered across the frame, along with some beautiful blue birds. Gohan had to say that he was very impressed with what Goten had done.

"Did you make this by yourself, Goten?" he asked, turning towards his little brother, who had been rapidly opening his next present, this one from his father. At the sound of his name, the little boy turned to Gohan, and he grinned.

"Mostly," he replied. "I mean, I got some help from Auntie Bulma and Trunks, but I did lots of it myself. Do ya like it?"

"Are you kidding? It's perfect, kid," Gohan smiled, causing Goten to grin brightly, running up to his big brother to give him a warm embrace, while the young man smiled as he returned the little boy's hug.

After that, the opening of presents happened quickly, with everyone thanking whoever had given them the gift when they opened it. Chi-Chi was thoroughly pleased with the picture frame that Goten had made her as well—it was individual from Gohan's, causing her to smile as she gave her baby a hug of appreciation. Goten was extremely excited when his father had given him a toy robot that he'd wanted, and instantly began playing with the remote-controlled device. Gohan laughed at what he had received from his mother, but was grateful all the same—a series of books on the history of Martial Arts. Of course, she would manage to bring reading into a gift. Goku smiled at the gift that his wife had gotten for him—she'd gotten him a huge box full of his favorite assorted sweets, which included both some of her cooking and a few store-bought items. She'd also made him a scrapbook, holding pictures of their family, all the way back from their wedding to recent ones as well, with her own heartfelt captions on many of them, causing the Saiyan to smile at his wife and give her a kiss while both of their sons pointedly turned away, Goten making a gagging noise. Videl thanked Goku and Chi-Chi for the pretty bracelet that they'd gotten for her—each differently colored bead represented a different character trait.

Soon, Gohan reached the gift that Videl had gotten him; he smiled as he saw the nametag on the box, which stated that it was from his girlfriend and to him. He looked at Videl, to see that she, coincidentally, was now holding the gift that he'd gotten her, and she was smiling at him.

"So, who's gonna open theirs first?" he asked, lightly playing with the intricately tied bow on his large gift box. The gift wrapping was a bright sky blue with dark blue stripes, and the ribbon was a vibrant turquoise. Two boxes were placed there—one considerably smaller than the other. And was he hallucinating, or was there a delicious smell emanating from the slightly smaller box?

"You should open yours first," Videl told him with a grin. "I wanna see your reaction to the gift I got you."

"All right," Gohan complied, honestly wondering what she could've gotten him. He opened it, and found that there were a few dozen chocolate-peanut-butter-chunk cookies inside of a bag, a good two dozen. He broke out into a grin—these cookies were honestly his favorite sweet, and he looked up to see Videl looking at him expectantly.

"Did you make these, Videl?" he asked curiously, pulling out the bag of cookies from the opened box, pulling one of the delicious sweets out to taste it.

"Yep, all by myself," she responded. "I mean, sure, your mom gave me the recipe and everything, and supervised it, but I officially did everything by myself. How do they taste?"

By this time, Gohan had already finished his first large cookie, and was currently lightly licking the crumbs off of his fingers, looking at Videl as she spoke, seeming slightly sheepish. Videl couldn't help but laugh, having already gotten her answer from her boyfriend.

"I've got to hide these for now," Gohan told her, placing the bag full of cookies to the side with considerable internal struggle. "But those are _amazing_, Videl. You made them last night?"

"Yep, and that's why they're still perfectly fresh. Go on, open your other gift!"

Wondering what else she could have gotten him that was better than food, he tore off the wrapping paper from that she'd given him, over the happy squeals of Goten as he received another toy that he'd wanted from his mother. He removed the lid, and saw a rather nice-looking black jacket inside of the box. He pulled it out of the box to examine it—it was made from a nice material, one that wouldn't constrict him too much, he could tell, and it felt cool to the touch. It was rather plain, except for a few stripes of white and blue for design here and there—he liked the fact that it wasn't too flashy.

"Is it your size? Is it OK?" Videl asked, biting her lip lightly. She hadn't been too sure about the item of clothing that she'd gotten him. When she'd first laid eyes on it, for some reason, she'd thought of Gohan—now, though, she was slightly second-guessing her impulses.

"It's great, Videl, thanks," Gohan replied truthfully, causing Videl to sigh a bit in relief. It was then that Gohan noticed a small glint of something shiny in the corner of the box, and, curiously, he reached for it to inspect it. His eyes widened slightly at what he pulled out form the corner of the box.

Gohan examined the beautiful pin that was currently in his large hands. It was small—only about two or three inches tall—but it was absolutely beautiful. The pin's profile was shaped like a bird of prey, based on the hooked beak and lightly curved talons. It was colored a shining golden—it was probably _made_ out of gold, now that he thought about it. Two lovely turquoise gems were the sharp eyes of the bird, whose head was slightly turned so that you were able to see the other sparkling gem. The of the bird were poised as if it was landing, descending on its prey, and were lightly detailed with feather-like designs that were so small and thin that they didn't take away from the whole picture.

It was beautiful.

"Wow, Videl," Gohan breathed out, looking at the beautiful bird. "How'd you…"

"Well, I saw that pin somewhere," Videl replied with a smile, "and I instantly thought of you. I remember how you said you liked birds, and…well, I felt that it was perfect for you. And I added the eyes myself—I found some gems that were the _exact_ same shade as your eyes when you turn Super Saiyan, so…yeah. You like it?"

"It's…I love it," Gohan replied, grinning as he put the beautiful pin down—he would wear it later, when they went to Bulma's party. "Thanks, Videl."

"You're welcome, Gohan," Videl returned, hugging her boyfriend quickly, glad that he'd liked her presents. She pulled back, and grabbed the considerably smaller gift that he'd gotten her. "I can open yours now, right?"

Gohan nodded, smirking lightly. "Sure."

Eagerly, Videl tore past the red bow and the green wrapping paper, to reveal a small, delicate leather box. She glanced at Gohan cautiously, before she opened the box.

She couldn't keep in the gasp that escaped from her being.

Lying in a bed of dark, pretty velvet was the most beautiful necklace she'd ever seen, accompanied by a pair of matching, beautiful earrings. The metal of the necklace was a pretty, delicate chain of silver, fitting her like a choker. As it neared the front, diamonds began to drape from the necklace, forming a light triangular shape. Beautiful sapphires were also on the lovely necklace, strategically placed to stand out among the diamonds, with the largest gem on the necklace, the focal point of the piece of jewelry, a lovely sapphire as well. The earrings perfectly matched the necklace—like the other piece of jewelry, the earrings had a sort of slightly floral design, like wisteria. Sapphires drooped lightly from a few prettily-shaped diamonds, on silver hooks. They were delicate, but they didn't seem that they would get in the way of anything, that they would hinder her in any way. The earrings weren't simply platinum studs, the necklace not a simple chain. In fact, the jewelry was slightly girly.

And Videl loved it.

"Oh, Gohan…they're beautiful," Videl couldn't help but breathe out, honestly taken away by the beauty of the jewelry that he'd gotten her.

"Those sapphires match your eyes," Gohan told her, smiling gently.

"I wanna put this on, right now, and I'm keeping it on for the whole day," Videl announced, instantly taking the earrings and placing them into the piercings that were in her ears. She rarely wore earrings, but the holes from when she _did_ get her ears pierced had never gone away, because she did wear earrings occasionally.

After she placed the earrings in her ears, Gohan gently reached for the necklace. She turned around without a word, and she soon felt the cool metal from the beautiful necklace touch her skin. She also felt Gohan's warm fingers, so gentle, as they clasped the necklace shut. She turned around, smiling, gently fingering the sapphires.

"It's perfect, Gohan," she told him with a smile, unable to stop admiring the beauty of the jewelry. It felt pleasantly cool against her skin—the earrings felt cold against her cheeks, the necklace cool against what little skin was exposed on her collarbone. She threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly, as he returned her embrace gently. After the embrace was over, she gave him a quick, thankful kiss on the lips. "Thank you so much."

"I'm glad you like it," Gohan told her with a slightly relieved smile on his face. The moment he'd laid eyes on that jewelry, he'd instantly thought of her—the sapphires had reminded him of her eyes. With Bulma's help, he'd managed to get it for her, and was glad that she enjoyed her gift.

Suddenly, from behind them, Chi-Chi let out a gasp. The two turned, to see that her eyes were filling up with tears as she looked at a small pillow of leather—a beautiful necklace of pearls was on the pillow, along with a bracelet and two small, pearl studs for earrings. Some of the pearls were smaller than the others, and not all of them were perfectly shaped, but it seemed that she didn't care about that as she brought her eyes up to her husband, who was looking at her with slight anxiety.

"…Goku?" she whispered, holding up the pearl necklace. "Did you…did you get this for me?"

"Well…yeah," Goku replied, rubbing the back of his head—he wasn't sure why she looked like she was going to cry, and he was wondering if it was because the pearls weren't perfect, or exactly the same. "I mean, I wasn't able to buy it, of course, so I had to go diving for the pearls myself, but Bulma knows this jeweler who can make jewelry out of whatever you bring h—"

"You got these pearls _yourself_?" Chi-Chi repeated, her eyes filling up even more with tears as she brought a hand to her heart. She began to lightly finger each of the pearls—no two were exactly alike, but mostly, they were the same. When they were completely different, it was a beautiful, unique twist.

"Well…yeah. I'm sorry I wasn't able to buy th—" Whatever else Goku was going to say was suddenly cut off as Chi-Chi threw herself into his arms, letting out a scream of joy. He caught her on instinct the moment that she landed on him—the force with which she collided with him nearly knocked both of them down, along with the chair that he'd been sitting on

"It's _perfect_, Goku!" she told him earnestly, sobbing with happiness and pure joy. "Oh my goodness, you _personally_ dove for the pearls, you got them _yourself_! Goku, it's absolutely _wonderful_! I love you so much!"

Goku couldn't help but chuckle lightly at his wife's reaction. He didn't think that diving for the pearls was a big deal, but obviously, it meant a lot to Chi-Chi. He smiled down at her, gently. "I'm glad that you like your gift, Chi," he told her softly. "I love you, too."

Chi-Chi pulled away from their embrace, one of the brightest smiles that he'd ever seen on her face, tears still running down her cheeks in elation. She then kissed him deeply, and the Saiyan returned the kiss with just as much emotion.

_"EW!"_ Goten shrieked, running away from his parents, clutching one of his many toys to his chest as he backed away from the couple. "That kissy-kissy stuff is so _gross_!"

Gohan, too, pointedly looked away, not wanting to see his parents in a make-out fest. Goten even went so far as to grab his big brother's hand and use it to shield his eyes—Gohan had a light blush on his cheeks as he used his free hand to lightly block his view of his kissing parents. The sight brought a smirk to Videl's lips as she laughed at the reactions of the boys.

"It's not funny, Videl, it's _gross_," Goten piped up petulantly as he pouted up at the young woman, peeking up at her through Gohan's fingers as he separated them a bit to make eye contact. "It's even _worse_ than when you and Gohan do kissy-kissy stuff."

Her eyes widened almost comically at that comment, and Gohan sent a curious look down at his little brother.

"You've seen us do…'kissy-kissy stuff'?" he inquired, and Goten let out an "eep!" as he quickly tried to hide behind his big brother's hand once more. Gohan sent a serious look towards his little brother. "Goten…"

"It was Trunks' idea!" Goten blurted out. "He thought that it'd be funny to spy on you guys so we did and he had a video camera and got pictures too and it was all Trunks' fault please don't get mad at me!" With that sentence done, he quickly tried to hide behind his elder brother's big hand once again, covering his face.

Videl and Gohan shared a slightly amused look between themselves. "Looks like I'll have to have a little talk with Trunks…" Gohan trailed off.

"Please don't tell him that I told you anything," Goten pleaded, clutching one of Gohan's fingers as he looked up at the teenaged demi-Saiyan. "Please?"

"Sure, I won't tell," Gohan agreed easily, causing Goten to break out into a bright grin, still holding onto his big brother's hand, gripping onto one of the young man's longer fingers with his tiny hands. He looked at his parents, and was relieved to find that they'd finally finished their gross kissing—even so, his mother was seated in his father's lap. Goku had placed the necklace of pearls on Chi-Chi per her request, and she was currently marveling over them once again, unable to stop herself from throwing her arms around her husband once more in pure happiness.

"Heh, makes me wish that I'd gotten the diamonds and sapphires myself," Gohan chuckled. "Sorry about that."

"No, it's fine," Videl reassured him honestly. "I truly, truly appreciate the jewelry that you got me—it's beautiful." Once again, she lightly touched the earrings that brushed her cheeks, the necklace that rested upon her collarbone, smiling. "And the best part is that it matches perfectly with what I'm going to wear tonight for the party."

_"Yuck!"_ Goten exclaimed suddenly, tugging Gohan's hand once again lightly as he covered his eyes with the large appendage. "Mommy and Daddy are doing the kissy-kissy stuff again!"

Videl laughed, while Gohan lightly blushed once more, deciding not to look as his parents once again engaged in kissing. Videl sent him a sly smirk in return. "You know, you act as if we aren't just like them sometimes," she teased lightly, leaning in close to him, causing his cheeks to darken the slightest bit more.

"They are my _parents_. That's _different_," Gohan muttered, while Goten cautiously peeked out from his and, to hide behind it again when he saw that their parents hadn't parted.

The blue-eyed girl grinned at her boyfriend. "Of course," she agreed, deciding to drop the subject for now, unable to stop herself from kissing one of Gohan's lightly crimson cheeks teasingly. Oh, if _this_ was how he acted when he saw his parents kissing, she couldn't _wait_ to see the way he acted when there was mistletoe lying around…

* * *

Videl was extremely glad that she'd been able to go to the Christmas party at Capsule Corporation—she had no doubt that, if she'd gone to the "fancy" party with her father, that she'd be bored out of her mind. However, with Gohan and the rest of their little group of misfits, there was never, _ever_ a boring moment.

At the moment, however, she was standing off on the side, taking a much-needed break from all the dancing that she had done, glad that she hadn't chosen high heels to wear. She'd danced with many of the men—with Gohan (obviously, he was the one who she mostly had danced with), Goku (he was a surprisingly good dancer), Krillin Yamcha, Tarble (and he was _such_ a gentleman, too; it was hard to believe that he and Vegeta were related), and even little Goten. She'd also danced with Bulma and Chi-Chi a bit, and even with Marron once, for the livelier songs. There were only a few people on the dance floor; currently, only Chi-Chi and Goku danced together to a slow song—the black-haired woman was wearing the pearls that he'd gotten her, which complimented her pretty rose/peach-colored dress perfectly. The only other couples on the dance floor were Krillin and Eighteen, and Tarble and Gure.

"Having fun?" a familiar voice inquired from next to her, and she turned to grin at her boyfriend, taking a sip of punch. Appreciatively, she looked him over, knowing that, if Erasa was here, that the blonde would be having a ball game with what Gohan was currently wearing; it was only female instinct, after all. That boy sure knew how to clean up nicely when he wanted to.

Currently, he was donning a set of black slacks, which were perfectly ironed, which gave him a neat look. He was also wearing a short-sleeved white dress shirt—the fabric seemed to barely be able to contain his bulging muscles, but he looked comfortable enough in it. Maybe it was the cut of it or something—able to define the muscles while leaving the wearer perfectly comfortable. Whatever it was, she liked it. He'd been wearing the jacket that she'd given him for a Christmas gift earlier, but soon, he had gotten a bit warm, and had taken it off. Videl didn't mind in the lease, appreciating what she could see of his muscular arms. What pleased her the most, though, was that he was wearing the golden pin that she'd given him on his white dress shirt, right over his heart. She couldn't contain her smile when she'd seen him put it on before they left.

"Yeah, I'm having fun. Just taking a momentary break," Videl grinned in reply, once again fingering the jewelry that he'd given her absentmindedly, touching the gems on her necklace. While she did so, Gohan looked at her attire, smiling a bit as well. When she wanted to, Videl really could look very, very nice and feminine. She was actually wearing a dress.

Yes. _The_ Videl Satan was wearing a _dress_. Not a fancy-schmancy dress, mind you, but was still wearing a dress. It was a sight that was extremely rare.

Just like she'd said, the dress was a dark blue, able to match the sapphires from the jewelry that he'd gotten her. The fabric seemed to be made of silk, lightly shimmery, and soft to the touch. The dress was sleeveless—she'd worn an ivory bolero over it to cover her shoulders before, when it had been cold, but like her boyfriend, she had taken it off not too long ago. The fabric seemed to flow over her body, clinging slightly in just the right spots, lightly exposing her feminine figure a bit, but not too much. The dress stopped at a slight length above her knees, exposing some of her slender, perfectly shaped legs. She donned a pair of heels as well, but they were barely anything—only a little more than an inch high, and were silver. Around the bottom hem of her dress, there was some small silver filigree that shimmered in the light; the same silver filigree went around her ribcage as well. The only makeup that she'd applied was a little bit of lip gloss, and Gohan had to admit that she looked extremely beautiful that night. Not that she wasn't pretty all the time, but…she looked nice in a dress. It had also been her mother's, which was probably why she didn't mind it as much as she would normally mind wearing a dress.

"Oh, come on, Vegeta, dance with me!" Bulma slightly complained. Hearing this, the two teens turned, to see that the blue-haired heiress was tugging on the Saiyan prince's arm, trying to get him to walk over to the dance floor with her.

Vegeta, however, stood motionless, almost as if she wasn't affecting him at all. His arms were crossed against his chest, the ever-present scowl on his face as he turned away from his wife, with considerable effort. Bulma was wearing a red dress that perfectly enhanced all of her feminine assets, only falling halfway down her thighs, the top just low enough to give a tantalizing amount of cleavage. Any man who saw her and was single (and even those who _weren't_ single) would be salivating at the sight of her.

"_No_, woman," he gruffly ground out behind his clenched teeth. "I will _not_ be doing _any_ dancing." He was wearing a pair of slacks as well and a dark blue dress shirt, and when Videl squinted, she noticed a small silver pin on the left side of his chest. She wasn't able to make out what, exactly, it was, but it must have held some importance if he was wearing it.

Bulma pouted. "Oh, _please_, Vegeta? This is a great song!"

"_No,"_ Vegeta repeated, remaining stiff as a board, glaring at his wife.

Bulma let out an annoyed and disappointed "Hmph", shooting him a returning glare, before she walked away from her husband, giving up on trying to get him to dance with her. Not when she was even ten paces away from the surly Saiyan, there was the sound of loud, drunken laughter, before a certain old man staggered in front of Bulma, grinning lecherously. Roshi laughed gleefully as he threw his now-empty beer bottle in the general direction of the trash can, missing horribly.

"Heheh!" he chortled, appreciatively looking Bulma up and down, while the blue-haired woman hissed in a breath, trying to keep herself under control. "I'd _love_ to dance with you, Bulma!" Roshi continued, his nose beginning to bleed at the feast that his eyes were getting. They were currently trained on her prominent chest, and she forced herself to slowly count to ten before she completely lost it. Roshi was particularly daring tonight, and even attempted a touch at her chest.

He never even got close.

Right as his hand began to move, his lecherous grin spreading across his wrinkled features, he was sent flying back from a fierce punch. He crashed into the wall, while a pissed-off Vegeta stood in front of his wife, his teeth bared in a light snarl. His eyes glinted dangerously, while Bulma opened her eyes in surprise, hearing the low growl that was coming from her husband in his anger.

"If that disgusting old letch…_ever_ tries that again…" The eldest prince was absolutely furious at the moment, struggling to not incinerate the old man on the spot. He knew that Kakarot had a soft spot for this certain man, who had apparently been his master—so if he killed him, things wouldn't turn out well. Not that he minded fighting his rival—on the contrary, he _greatly_ enjoyed beating the ever-loving shit out of the third-class dog. No, the only reason why he wasn't killing the man was because the woman had threatened him. Behave, or he wouldn't be getting _anything_ tonight, and be forced to sleep on the couch.

He did _not_ like sleeping on the couch.

"Hey, thanks for taking care of him for me, hun," Bulma said with a light smile. "But he's gonna try again, I know—that old man _never_ gives up. But just…don't kill him. Even though I would absolutely _love_ to do so, right after gelding him." With that, she flipped off the moaning old man on the wall, giving him the one-fingered salute. This action from his fiery wife caused Vegeta to lightly smirk at his woman, some of his anger calming down.

"Are you going to dance with me, sweetheart?" Bulma asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him. This caused him to growl lightly at her, before he turned away, not even giving her an answer. She fell back into a light pout, once again glaring at him lightly with her blue eyes, before someone else came up to her.

"Milady?" Tarble said politely as he came up to his sister-in-law. He, too, was dressed like his brother, except he wore a white dress shirt instead of a dark blue one. He even had the same pin that Vegeta had on his chest, the shape that Videl was unable to make out. As Tarble walked up to his brother and the man's wife, he bowed lightly to the blue-haired woman. He extended one hand, his tail wrapping around his waist.

"I would be honored to dance with you," he told her, looking up at her with a smile. Bulma couldn't help but smile as well at his actions.

"That's so sweet of you," she said earnestly. "But…I thought you were dancing with Gure."

Tarble grinned, turning around for a brief moment before he returned his dark gaze to the blue-haired woman. "My wife is entertaining the children now," he told her, causing Bulma to look where he had been moments before. She couldn't help but grin at what she saw: Trunks, Goten, and Marron were all sitting down in a corner of the room, staring at Gure with wide eyes as the tiny alien smiled as she told them tales of the planet that she came from.

"They become easily enraptured when she tells them stories of our home planet," Tarble mused, "and she loves children." He smiled faintly, before he turned to Bulma right as another song picked up. "So, may I have this dance, milady?"

Bulma smiled at him, taking his hand. "Of course, Tarble," she replied, while shooting her husband a slightly dirty look. "I wish that _certain_ people had manners like you." Tarble knew what she was saying, but decided to keep his mouth shut about that, as he led her to the dance floor, while Vegeta simply rolled his eyes at his woman's previous glare.

"Do things like that _normally_ happen between those two?" Videl asked Gohan after the whole scene was over. "Bulma and Vegeta?"

Gohan sighed. "Yep, this is _not_ an uncommon occurrence. Roshi almost _always_ tries to give at least _one_ woman a feel, and it's usually Bulma, causing Vegeta to get rather pissed off. But Vegeta doesn't like to dance—but I have no doubt that Bulma will be able to get him to dance a least once tonight," he added with a slightly conspiring smirk at his girlfriend.

A grin crossed the black-haired girl's face at the thought of the taciturn man actually being goaded into dancing. "Now, that'll be something to see," she told him with a smirk.

"It sure is," Gohan agreed, absentmindedly pouring himself some punch as well—Bulma, never one to do things "average", had the red punch mixed with something bubbly, so it was like a soda and a fruit punch at the same time. Gohan guessed it was either Sprite or sparkling water—whatever it was, it tasted great, and he guzzled it down, being careful not to spill any on his white shirt.

"Hey, what's the meaning of the pin that both Vegeta and Tarble are wearing?" Videl asked curiously, once again seeing the silver pin flash on Tarble's shirt as he danced with Bulma on the floor.

Gohan smiled. "It's the crest of the Saiyan royal house," he replied. "It's called the house of Vegeta, because the firstborn son of the king was always named that. It's their crest—it means a lot to Vegeta, I know that. Bulma made it for him a couple of years ago, and I'm sure that she made one of them recently for Tarble, and that it was his Christmas gift."

"Oh," Videl said, watching as Vegeta leaned against a pole, his own pin flashing a bit in the light from the disco ball.

Sudden, loud laughter sounded very close to Videl, and she turned her head to see that the old pervert, Master Roshi, had been able to stand up, and was running full speed ahead towards her. His face was red from all the drinking that he'd done, and he was sweating a bit from all the beer that he'd managed to chug down. His eyes widened behind his shades as he currently took in the eye-full that was Videl.

His eyes behind his shades widened, staring intently at her rather feminine figure. Sure, she may not be as voluptuous as Bulma…but, damn, Videl was still a smoking' hot babe. He gave her a large grin, full of missing teeth, his nose beginning to bleed once more.

"Heheh, you should wear dresses more often, Videl," Roshi said drunkenly, unable to take his eyes off of her chest. "They _greatly_ enhance those girls of yours."

That comment caused Videl's face to suddenly flush red in anger, as she puttered indignantly, unable to form a coherent reply at the audacity of the old man. Her tiny fists clenched at her sides fiercely, her blue eyes igniting with fire, while Roshi enjoyed the show. The flush on her cheeks, the fire within her eyes, made her only even more appealing.

"You look _really_ nice when you get all angry like that," the old man chortled, licking his lips as he drooled, trying to stem the sudden gush of blood that was coming from his nose. He _never_ learned his lesson.

Videl felt a sudden breeze, and she was suddenly facing the back of Gohan, who had appeared in front of her, quick as lightning. She heard a light growling sound emanating from his throat, and she looked at his face from around one of his muscular arms to see that his teeth were also bared in the slightest of snarls, that his onyx eyes were struggling to contain their anger.

"I'm sure Videl would _greatly_ appreciate it, Master Roshi," Gohan began, his voice cool and calm—Videl knew better, and was able to hear the struggle that he had with not shouting at the old man, "if you would not refer to her in that way. And _I_ would appreciate it, too."

"Aw, come on, Gohan, don't be such a spoilsport!" Roshi guffawed, throwing his hand in a general direction, nearly stumbling on the spot—he was _extremely_ drunk. "I'm sure she doesn't mind!"

"Ex-_cuse_ me?" Videl hissed out from behind Gohan, her hands on her hips. "I _do_ mind, in fact. _Greatly._ Go and wait under the mistletoe for a desperate woman to come and kiss you—I am _not_ one of those desperate women."

"Uh…you _are_ standing under mistletoe, sweetheart," Roshi grinned lecherously, once again licking his lips. Videl and Gohan both looked up, to see that the fact was indeed true—there was the tiniest clump of mistletoe hanging over them. "So pucker up! Trust me, I am _still_ a very good kisser, the ladies still scream when I do it."

"They obviously are screaming in pure horror and disgust," Videl snipped in reply. "In case you haven't noticed, Gohan's here, too. I think the mistletoe rules are that you kiss the person closest in age to you, if more than one person is under the mistletoe at the same time."

"But…come on, girl, you're _sexy_!" Roshi complained. "Trust me, the kiss'll be worth your while. And," he continued with a wink, "I'll give you even _more_ than that if you let me catch a little look at your tits—"

"Master _Roshi_," Gohan growled out lightly, glaring at the old man, while Videl silently fumed from behind him, forcing herself not to claw the old pervert's eyes out for his comment. "I'm _beginning_ to lose my _patience_." His lips were curled into a slightly fiercer snarl than the one he'd worn before, his power level slightly spiking in his anger, his own fists clenching together, his fingernails digging into his palms.

It was at that moment that, suddenly, the old turtle hermit realized that he was antagonizing one of the strongest people in the entire universe—probably the second- or third-strongest to grace any planet at the moment. He was able to notice that Gohan's eyes flashed turquoise for the briefest of seconds, causing him to back up in fear, not wanting to die at the moment. To save his life, he quickly dashed away, wondering why no one would ever give an old man what he just _wanted_.

"All right, down, boy," Videl joked, placing her hand on Gohan's arm. His growls had ceased once Roshi had left his sight, and he closed his eyes to regain control of himself, taking a few deep breaths. Videl's touch certainly helped him out, and he opened his eyes to look into her blue ones, which were mischievous.

"You know, Gohan…there _is_ mistletoe over us," she smirked. "And, since that whole skirmish has been taken care of…"

Gohan wore a surprisingly devilish grin on his face, almost forgetting about the incident with Roshi. "Well, I suppose that we'll have to follow the Christmas tradition of mistletoe," he said with a slight shrug, causing her to laugh at him, before their lips met.

A few moments after they began kissing, lightly deepening it, they heard two wolf-whistles from around them. They pulled away for a few moments, and saw that the culprits had been Krillin and Yamcha, both of the men wearing smirks on their faces, while Eighteen simply rolled her eyes at her husband's action.

"Hey, don't mind us!" Krillin snickered.

"Continue with what you were doing, by all means!" Yamcha added. "Don't let us get in the way!"

Both of the teenagers turned a bit red, causing the two human men to snicker some more at their embarrassment. "Hah, young love," Krillin said, nudging his friend a bit with his elbow, speaking loud enough for Videl and Gohan to still hear. "Isn't it adorable?"

Yamcha grinned a bit, but his eyes weren't completely in it, as he remembered _his_ first love. "Yeah…it sure is." He quickly cleared his head of these thoughts—he had accepted it a while ago, that he and Bulma were over, but still…at times, it was hard for him _not_ to regret that they wouldn't be together any longer, as he looked back on some of the memories that they'd shared. But he wouldn't get into the way of her happiness, and he was sure that he would, eventually, meet the right girl.

"Well, Videl," Gohan said, not wanting to hear any more of the conversation, lest it turn into something utterly mortifying, "do you want to have another dance with me?"

Videl smiled at him. "Of course," she agreed, taking his outstretched hand. He grinned in return as he brought her to the dance floor, placing his free hand at her waist while she placed her hand on his shoulder, their linked hands staying together, before they began to dance.

The girl looked around at the others—it seemed that everyone was on the dance floor now. Krillin suddenly seemed to want to dance with his wife, and, once he'd had his fun teasing the teens, he'd asked his wife to dance, to which she agreed. Tarble and Gure were both dancing as well, smiles on their faces. Goku was still dancing with Chi-Chi, and they were talking quietly to each other as they danced to the slow song. Videl grinned when she saw another couple on the dance floor—Bulma had managed to rope her surly Saiyan prince into a dance with her. While Vegeta looked like he wanted to do anything _but_ dance, he was nevertheless dancing with his wife, while she wore a contented smile on her face and rested her head against his shoulder—they weren't doing any elaborate dancing, simply moving a bit from side to side. Trunks and Goten were playing around with each other, chasing each other under the tables and making sure that they didn't break anything, while little Marron danced with Yamcha, giggling as he spun her around lightly while he smiled as well.

Videl let out a contented sigh, resting her head against Gohan's chest. She felt his arm wrap around her waist more securely, causing her gentle smile to widen a bit more.

"Merry Christmas, Videl," Gohan told her with his own grin, and she looked up at him, happier than she had been in a long time. Ever since Gohan had come into her life, ever since they had begun dating, she felt so much lighter, so much happier, than she had ever felt before in her life. When her mother had died, it seemed that life suddenly became the slightest bit less fun, less bright. Gohan's appearance in it, however, brought her back to the way that she was when her mother was still alive. It made her happy.

"Merry Christmas, Gohan," Videl told him in reply, moving her hand that was on his shoulder to gently wrap around his thick, muscular neck. Neither of the teens could resist leaning in for another gentle kiss. Surrounded by all these people, feeling her boyfriend's lips on her own, feeling the coolness of the jewelry that Gohan had given her lightly on her cheeks and her collarbone, Videl sure of one thing.

This had been, by far, the best Christmas ever.

* * *

**Oh, I just love Christmastime :D the Christmas spirit is still in the air! It doesn't go away until February starts for me. Hell, we still have our Christmas tree up X3 kinda been too lazy to take it down… :D**

**Anyways, like I promised, there's a WHOLE list of stuff down here for you guys, some of it important, some of it not so much. Please bear with me at the moment :D**

**1) I am currently beta-ing a story for a good friend of mine, named Captainawsome42. It's titled "The Walking Z: A Survivor's Story." And here's the summary for you guys:**

**In the year 2081, on October 18th, Central City was destroyed with a 100% fatality rate. The military was sent to investigate the situation. There were no known survivors. Now, it is up to a few demi-Saiyans to race against both time and the odds to somehow bring the world back to what it once was.**

**And there's the summary! :D it's pretty action packed, and Captain wanted to make an OC of me featured in the story. And, as such, there **_**is**_** an OC of me, and I cannot express in words how extremely flattered I am that he'd want to make an OC of me :D it's a pretty cool story, and I was bawling when I beta-d some parts X3 if you guys want, you can go check it out! Captain and I would love it! :D**

**2) Here's the next order of business: I put a poll up on my profile, guys! :D not sure how many of you have seen it, but it just about asks a really long question. The basic question is this: what DBZ story would you like to see from me next? Of course, I wrote more in the question, and there's a lot of choices to choose from—you can pick up to 3 of them. It'd be great if you could check it out, everyone's opinion counts :D and, if you have an idea for a story, you can PM it to me, or, if you're a Guest, say the idea through a review, if you want :)**

**3) I AM SO SORRY THAT THIS CHAPTER IS SO LATE! D: I WANTED to get it out earlier, but finals week was last week, guys, I had to study my ass off X( let's hope I did well :D**

**4) Thank you ALL for the continued support of this story through your reviews! Honestly, those things just make my freaking day, I love hearing what you guys have to say. You have no idea how much it means to me :D**

**On that note, hope you enjoyed the chapter! X3 thanks for reading, and please review! :D**


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